Great Expectations
by kalebxdd
Summary: Every Saturday Videl goes to the Satan City library so she can escape reality for a few hours. This is where she meets a boy who shares her love for literature and who can relate to her always being in her father's shadow. Watch as their bond grows stronger and time progresses.
1. Chapter 1

"No… Not this one…"

The girl let a slender finger softly trail the neatly lined-up paperbacks, her cerulean eyes reading the printing on the covers. She sighed once and tucked a strand of her raven-hair behind her ear before bending over to grab one of the books from the shelves.

"Charles Dickinson…" Videl Satan mumbled to herself. "No, not this one either…"

Putting the book back the girl continued her search, this time scanning through the books by author. She gave a little enthusiastic yelp when she had finally found what she was looking for.

"Great Expectations by Charles Dickens." Videl read out loud. After searching through the various bookshelves for over half an hour she had finally found something that she deemed worthy of a good read. The Satan girl inspected the cover and let her finger slide through the page quickly, inspecting the book's condition. When she noticed that the thing was completely unharmed and okay she tucked the book under her armpit and walked away from the shelves categorized by the letter 'D'.

"And now for something a little lighter…" Videl started muttering to herself again. She walked through various rows of shelves, each and every one of them sorted by alphabetical order of the author's last name. Videl had walked in between these shelves so many times now that she was able to pinpoint the location of nearly any book in just a matter of seconds.

"Let's see.. K…" Every Saturday afternoon Videl went to the Satan City library to nurture her love for literature. Every time she walk through the enormous collection of books to choose from in the search of any shred of literary 'genius' that she hadn't read yet. The gray shelves towering above her and the plush red carpet beneath her feet had become so standard to Videl that they made the library feel like a second home. Videl simply loved the atmosphere, the silence, the slightly trademarked smell of books in the air. The library was one of the few places that Videl felt truly comfortable, even her bedroom didn't make her feel so safe and secure. Once Videl had entered the magical world of books there was no pulling her out of it before it was time for the library to close for the night.

"K… K…" Some people found Videl's hobby to be ridiculous. Her best friends always called her insane for reading books. Videl in return thought that it was highly annoying to see her friends nearly super glued to their phones and having to nearly scream I their ears to get their attention. And that wasn't the only thing that Videl and her friend's weren't on par with either.

"Ki… Kl…" When it came down to Videl's friends there were two special cases in particular. First there was Sharpener. He was a teenage boy with long blonde hair and the physique of a body builder. Sharpener had the extremely annoying habit to hit on every girl that crossed his path, and Videl specifically. Too bad for him that she happened to be the daughter of the World Champion of Martial Arts, Hercule Satan. Still, Sharpener continued his attempts to woo Videl and the raven-haired girl had pounded a good and firm 'NO!' into him on more than one occasion.

"Kluun… Kluun…" Secondly there was Erasa, Videl's life-long best friend. Erasa was a bubbly blonde girl who shared the annoying trait on trying to seduce everything that moved with their friend Sharpener. What was even more annoying was her tendency to try and set Videl up on dates to get her a boyfriend. Videl scoffed at just the thought of it. She was a martial artist and a renown crimefighter! She didn't have the time to show any interest in boys!

"Where is it…" Videl mumbled as she continued her search for the book she had her eyes on. She let her fingers slide over the backs and stopped when she reached the name she had been looking for. After going through the author's many different publications she was sad to see that the book she wanted had been taken already. Slightly disappointed she walked over to the service desk in front of the library to ask if there happened to be another copy.

"Excuse me ma'am," Videl said, causing the woman behind the service desk to look at her over the thin frame of her glasses. "Do you happen to have another copy of "A woman enters the doctor's office..' by the author Kluun lying around? I checked the shelves but there isn't one left."

The lady behind the desk turned to her computer and typed a few things on her keyboard.

"No, sorry sweetheart," the woman apologized. "The last copy was given away just an hour ago."

"That's okay," Videl told the woman with a polite smile. "Just hope that I'll have better luck next time, thanks for your help."

The woman politely smile back before returning to her own business. Videl gave a small sigh and tucked Great Expectations under her arm. Since the book she wanted wasn't available she might as well go and read some Charles Dickens. The crimefighter walked away from the service desk and made her way towards another area of the library which was designed for visitors to have a comfortable reading experience. This part of the library was brightly lit as sunlight filtered through the skylights above, giving the entire scene a warm and welcoming feel. Videl felt herself relax almost instantly and spotted a nice table for her to sit and read a bit.

It didn't take Videl long to get lost in the world created by Dickens. The more she read the more she spiraled down into the old English setting painted by the words of a true author. Flipping page after page Videl completely lost track of time, only the number of pages being able to give her a rough indication of how long she had been sitting there already. After flipping page 100 movement caught the girl's eye and made her gaze leave the pages for the first time since she flipped the book open.

A teenage boy was standing about three feet away from Videl. The girl would be able to pick him out of a crowd immediately, even if it was just by his jet-black hair which almost seemed to defy gravity as it shot out in every direction possible. The kid was tall and slender and seemed pretty fit in Videl's eyes. The boy gazed at the ground, almost as if he feared eye contact.

"W-Would you mind if I sit here?" he queried without averting his gaze from the carpet beneath his feet. He gestured to one of the empty chairs by the table to indicate the spot he wanted to take.

Videl gave a giggle. With friends like Erasa and Sharpener constantly hanging around her she had almost forgotten that there were actually shy people in the world. She put on a friendly smile and turned to the boy.

"Sure you can," Videl answered. "I don't see my name on it anywhere so make yourself comfortable."

This made the boy smile in return, whether it was in gratitude or out of sheer politeness Videl didn't know. The raven-haired girl turned her attention back to her book and even the scraping of chair legs over the floor didn't cut her gaze loose from the lettering on the pages.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours as the story of Pip and the evil Mrs. Havisham completely sucked Videl in. Before she even knew it she had read the last page and closed the book. She let out a huge exhale and pushed the book to the side. Why was it always so exhausting to read a book in one go?

"Great Expectations, eh?" a voice caught her attention. "Quite a pill to take, don't you agree?"

Videl looked up to see the black-haired boy sitting across her, in the exact same spot he had taken several hours ago. Videl was surprised to see him, normally she was the only person to stay in the library for such enormous amounts of time. People actually considered her crazy for it and they certainly didn't mind telling her. It made Videl somewhat sad to know that so few people still actually enjoyed reading books. And seeing the boy sit on front of her, a book open in his hands put a smile on her face. At least he knew what he was talking about.

"Yeah," Videl replied to the boy's question. "Reading entire books in one go always make me feel like I've been hit by an eighteen wheeler."

The other teen gave an amused chuckle. "You speak like a literary genius, throwing in analogies like it's nothing."

Videl started laughing. "And what about it?"

The boy raised his shoulders. "In my opinion: nothing. But ask just about anybody else and they'll look at you like you've told them their parents died."

Videl shot up with a giggle. "Ha! You do it too!"

Mr. Nameless raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, busted. You got me, guilty as charged. What is my punishment?" A playful smile curled around his lips as he spoke those words.

Videl pondered for a moment. "How about you tell me your name so I can at least match a name with that face of yours."

"Fair enough," the boy replied. He put out a big hand which Videl gladly shook. "My name is Gohan, nice to meet you."

It wasn't up until this point in time that Videl managed to get a glimpse of the boy's eyes. They were a very deep and penetrating onyx, like they would be able to stare directly into your soul. They sparkled in joy and happiness, but somewhere deep in their cheerful look a tiny glint of sadness was visible between the cracks. Videl found herself lost in those onyx gems for a split second, mesmerized by their powerful and intense gaze.

"M-My name is Videl." Videl said uneasily. Whatever those eyes of Gohan held, it sure as hell messed up her speech.

"Yeah, I know." Gohan replied. "Videl Satan, right?"

Videl had to resist the urge to sigh and roll her eyes. Of course he knew her. She was a renown crime fighter and her last name was printed on every piece of crap souvenir that one would fin within a fifty mile radius. Ah hell, the entire city bared her last name!

Videl nodded at Gohan and mumbled in conformation. She watched as Gohan's smile grew, as if he was trying to pat himself on the back. If there was one thing Videl couldn't stand it was arrogance and she hoped that that smile was merely out of politeness.

"I knew it!" Gohan grinned enthusiastically. "Excuse my anxiety, I'm usually very bad with names. I guess something got stuck up there in my big thinker during roll call."

Videl found herself baffled. "Roll call?"

"Yup!" Gohan answered. "Maybe you haven't really noticed me before but we have both Math and History together."

Videl felt like smacking herself across the face. She had automatically assumed that people knew her because they knew her father. She had to admit that it was kind of refreshing to see that there were people who knew her because of… well… her!

"So what are you reading?" Videl queried in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

Gohan smiled and showed her the cover of the book that he was holding.

"A WOMAN ENTERS THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE" – KLUUN.

"That's the book that I wanted to get today!" Videl nearly shouted. "I guess that you were the bastard that swooped it away from me!" she chuckled.

"Okay officer, I apologize," Gohan joked in return "But please don't shoot me!"

The two teenager's shared a fit of giggles when a few beeps were heard. Videl noticed Gohan looking at the watch around his wrist.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now." Gohan said as he rose from his chair. "But how about this: I assume you know that this book is a pretty light read, so I think that I'll have it finished by the end of the weekend. How about I give it you at school on Monday?"

Videl gave a nod in confirmation and watched as a genuinely happy smile grew on Gohan's face.

"And would it be too much to ask if we could have lunch together too?" Gohan asked. "Cause I've thoroughly enjoyed your company so far, Videl."

Videl felt a fierce shade of red assault her cheeks as those words reached her ears. She tried her best to hide it by covering her face with her hair.

"S-S-Sure thing!" she answered, her cheeks still radiating with heat.

"Well then, Gohan said as he took a step back, "It's time for me to leave now. See you Monday!" And with that the boy sped off to Kami knows where, leaving Videl with a tint of pink in her face, mumbling a soft "See you Monday, Gohan…"


	2. Chapter 2

Monday arrived quickly and Videl rose with the warm and radiant sun that morning. Usually the morning hours were one of her worst enemies, her morning moods having caused several near-death experiences to her father and some of her friends. Yet this morning she felt better than ever, humming a happy tune as she swung her legs out of bed. During a refreshing shower her mind drifted off to what awaited her that afternoon.

Videl had been looking forward to her meet with Gohan during lunch time all weekend. Their brief encounter had been replaying in the girl's head constantly the past 2 days, causing her excitement to grow every time the reel replayed. Videl had decided to keep the news about the lunch on the down low, not wanting to have her friend Erasa go bonkers. The blonde would probably rattle on about Videl's 'date' for hours on end and the Satan girl just didn't feel like enduring that.

And Erasa would be wrong about that date. Videl didn't view her meet with Gohan as a 'date', more like a regular lunch with a friend. One should go on a date with someone they like, and Videl didn't like Gohan in that way. She didn't even need a boyfriend, the idea itself was ridiculous enough! Videl Satan on a date! And if it would ever even once occur that she would actually be out on a date, she would've chosen a more flattering location than the school cafeteria.

While she dressed herself in her trademarked and oversized white t-shirt accompanied by her black biking shorts, Videl let her mind drift off to the boy from the library. It would be ridiculous for her to think of Gohan as boyfriend material! Right? Although she had felt mesmerized when she locked eyes with his onyx gems. The twinkles of happiness in his gaze had managed to wipe all thought from her mind for several seconds.

Even though the crimefighter refused to call her lunch with Gohan a date she had to admit the she was looking forward to the teenager's company. He seemed like a genuinely nice person, not one of those money or fame-hungry vultures that usually tried to befriend Videl. They shared a love for literature so at least they had an icebreaker in case an awkward silence should fall on their conversation.

With a confident smile Videl slung her book bag over her shoulder and made a pit stop in the kitchen. After grabbing two slices of toast and telling her father goodbye, the girl ran out the door on her way to school. Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

"VIDEEEEEL!" Erasa's bubbly voice rang throughout the school hallways. Videl turned her head towards the source of the sound and was greeted by an overjoyed Erasa, her arms wide spread to suffocate Videl in a tight embrace.

"Hi Erasa," Videl replied as she returned the hug. Videl sweat dropped a bit as she felt her ribs crack slightly. Erasa's hugs were always deadly ones. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," the blonde chirped happily. "I went out clubbing the weekend, so you know, the usual. What did you do for fun this weekend?"

Videl couldn't suppress a sigh from escaping. "I thought you knew by now Erasa, I go to the library every Saturday."

The school's biggest gossip queen merely rolled her eyes at the protest.

"Why do you squander your precious time surrounded by dusty old books? You should be out looking for a boy, Videl. An I don't think you will find anybody interesting between the dictionaries and the Reader's Digests."

Videl bit on her lower lip in an attempt to not giggle. Erasa should've come along with her last Saturday, she'd be pleasantly surprised.

The two girl walked towards their first classroom of the day, Erasa holding the longest end of the conversation. Videl had already zoned out and replied with the occasional "Yeah" and "Okay" as if she was flying on automatic pilot.

"So do you want to have lunch on the roof today?" Erasa queried, forcing Videl to tune back into the conversation. Videl stopped dead in her tracks, causing Erasa to a full 180 turning to her best friend.

"What's the matter, Vi?" Erasa asked, arching her brow in curiosity.

Videl sighed uneasily. This was the moment that she would be regretting the entire morning, but it had to be done.

"I can't come to lunch today, Erasa," Videl answered while casting her stare down at her feet, "I have different plans."

Erasa looked as if she had just seen pink elephants dance. After a few seconds the gears in her head started to turn and a light bulb started to glow. A menacing smirk crept over her face, causing blush a deep shade of red.

"You have plans with a boy, don't you?" Erasa giggled like a little schoolgirl. "You met somebody, didn't you?"

Videl felt her blush grow even more radiant. She uncomfortably tapped her foot on the ground and shifted her weight from one leg to another. It took every bit of courage that she had in her to give a small nod.

Erasa nearly shrieked in excitement and jumped Videl, immediately hooking her arm in her best friend's. Videl didn't like the curious glint that appeared in Erasa's eye as the blonde started dragging her along.

"Tell me all about him!" Erasa chimed. "What's his name? What does he look like? Where did you two meet? Did you feel any sparks flying yet?"

Videl could merely roll her eyes. This was going to be a very, very long day.

* * *

Videl exhaled, trying her best to shake off the nerves. She reached for the door handle, but a sudden feeling of hesitation prevented her from bringing it down. The girl wanted to slap herself in the face and tell herself to pull herself together, to man up. It wasn't like her to get so incredibly nervous over something so small and unimportant. It was all Erasa's fault with her overexcited chit-chatter about Videl's lunch 'date'. If that blonde gossip machine would've just kept quiet for every once in awhile Videl probably would've been sinking her teeth in a sandwich already. Sighing once more the girl brought the door handle down and stepped into the school cafeteria.

Hundreds of students had gathered to devour their lunches. Videl had to supress a groan as her eyes started scanning the room. In the far left corner she managed to get a glimpse of a head full of jet-black hair. The petite crimefighter felt her heart rise and her legs started to move as if she were on automatic pilot. She zigzagged through the maze of students and couldn't help but smile when she halted behind the boy that had kept her mind occupied for the past two days. The spawn of Satan tapped her 'date' on his shoulder, causing him to turn his head.

"Hey you!" Videl chimed happily.

"Hey you!" Gohan replied as he rose from his seat. A huge smile adorned the teenager's face as he started to search through his book bag.

"Here you go," Gohan said as he handed Videl a book, " Just like I promised."

Videl gave the teen a quizzical look as she took the book from his hands. it wasn't until she read the words "A woman enters the doctor's office" that she remembered Gohan was supposed to give her a book today.

"I was thinking," the boy's voice caused Videl to rip her stare loose from the book's cover. " the weather is absolutely gorgeous today, so how about you and I go have lunch outside? It's way too crowded in here anyway."

"Fine with me!" Videl complied before following Gohan out of the school cafeteria. As the two teens made their way outside the raven-haired girl tried her hardest to come up with an ice-breaker, not wanting an awkward silence to cast its shadow over their conversation. But every time Videl looked up at her 'date' all words left her. Something about Gohan's presence nearly left her out of breath and shut off her capability to think.

_Goddammit Erasa, why did you have to go and screw with my brains like that?_

The two exited the school and stepped onto the huge field of grass on which several students were enjoying their meals as well.

"So what did you think of the book?" Videl asked, finally being able to force a few words over her lips.

Gohan gave a chuckle. "Well, it was a very good read. That was for sure," he laughed as he lowered himself to the grass. "The author did a very fine job at portraying the main character like a total ass. I considered the book to be a alight and breezy read but I was quickly proven wrong."

"How so?" the girl queries when she copied the boy's actions, allowing the soft grass to provide comfort.

"Well," the other teen answered while rummaging through his bag. "The last fifty or so are an emotional roller coaster." Videl watched Gohan take a capsule out of his bag and activate it. Seconds later several big lunch boxes were lying spread out in front of the black-haired boy. The Satan girl could only watch as Gohan seemed to consider this a light meal.

Videl shook her head to forget the temporary distraction. "And you are probably way too tough of a big boy to enjoy a bit of a tearjerker?" she giggled in amusement.

"No, quite on the contrary!" Gohan chuckled in reply. "I love myself a good sobfest every once in awhile!" the black-haired boy then played Videl a smile that made her insides swarm with millions of butterflies. The girl nearly felt herself melt when she noticed the joyous sparkle in the boy's onyx eyes. The way they twinkled in happiness mesmerized Videl yet again, just like they had done just two days ago.

"Videl?" a male voice snapped the girl with the pigtails back into reality. "Are you okay? You seemed a bit zoned out just now."

The first thing her cerulean eyes saw were Gohan's pitch-black gems staring back at her in concern. Videl shot up and immediately directed her gaze at the leaves of grass beneath her, letting her raven locks fall over her face in an attempt to hide he fierce blush creeping over her cheeks.

_Shit! Shit! Shit! _Videl inwardly cursed, _why did I have to go and do something so incredibly stupid? I know for sure that I made a giant ass out of myself! He probably isn't the oblivious type either, what the hell would he be thinking right now? Damn him and his pretty eyes!_

Videl had to pause at that last mental remark. Did she really just call his eyes pretty?

"Videl?" Gohan's voice rang once again. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Slowly but surely the petite crime fighter felt her cheeks cooling down. She raised her head back u and gave a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the girl lied. "It's just a bit of headache."

Gohan sighed in relief. "Thank god, you got me worried! I guess that's what happens when a pretty girl looks like she's about to faint."

All that Videl could think was _Oh shit, not again! _as the blush she had just managed to brush off rocketed right back in its place.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

* * *

"No really, I'm dead serious!" Gohan laughed. "Goten is probably the most hyperactive kid on this entire planet. He has the attention span of a housefly!"

Videl giggled at the other teenager's cheesy joke. "He probably sees you like some sort of a role model, a big brother is certainly something to look up to."

"Oh, you have no clue," Gohan chuckled. "the kid absolutely adores me! Sometimes I think that he's waiting right by the door every single day until I get home, almost like a loyal dog."

"Well he sounds like a dream." The girl smiled. Her and the black-haired teen had already spent forty-five minutes of their hour-long lunch break chit-chatting and enjoying each other's company. Videl had gotten to know Gohan a little better. She now knew what a banshee his mother could be when she got pissed off and how his little brother Goten was probably the best guard dog that anyone could ever wish for. He on the other hand was now aware that Videl lived in a mansion the size of a small city and that her father had an even lousier morning mood than her.

As the two continued their talk they failed to notice the two people heading in their direction. A fit of giggles from Videl's end was cut off when a tall and broad figure blocked her sun. The girl looked up to see a big head full of platinum blonde hair just slightly reflecting the sunlight, the owner looking at the scene before him with his arms folded in front of his chest.

"Sharpener?" Videl asked quizzically. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde gave a scoff before replying. "I heard that you were out on a date and I was checking up to see if you were out with a real man. But I can see now that he is nothing compared to me," the teen spat. "I still can't understand how you can pass up someone like me for someone like… that!" Sharpener exclaimed while gesturing at Gohan.

Sharpener had always been a proper reason for Videl to blow her fuse. The girl got up from her spot in the grass, a vein in her temple pulsing dangerously.

"No Sharpener, we aren't out on a 'date'!" Videl hissed through gritted teeth. "Gohan here is just a friend and we were out having lunch together. So why don't you go ahead and beat it before I start beating you?"

Gohan jumped up and tried to throw himself in between the two arguing fighters.

"Come on guys," he tried to talk things over, his onyx eyes betraying that he wanted to avoid confrontation. "There is absolutely no need to fight! Videl, if we want to have the rest of our lunch in peace we can just go sit somewh—"

"Shut up, Nerd Boy!" Sharpener yelled before giving Gohan a hard shove to his chest. The boy from the library fell to the grass and winched slightly when his back made impact with the ground below.

"Videl doesn't need some stupid nerd to hang around her all day!" Sharpener mocked arrogantly. "She needs a real man and you just don't seem to make the cut."

Videl ignored Sharpener's boasting and sank through her knees to check on Gohan.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern clear in her voice.

"Why don't you go ahead and scram already!" the blonde hollered with a content smirk.

The crimefighter shot to standing teen a menacing glare, causing a small terrified shudder to run up and down his spine. He stare of thunder quickly depleted when she helped the boy on the ground back to his feet.

"Come on Gohan, let's go." Videl tried to still the situation.

"Yeah, beat it, Brains!" Sharpener continued his insults.

"Don't listen to him!" Videl assured her new friend. "He's an ass, he doesn't know any better."

Gohan casted his eyes to the grass below his feet. "No Videl, it's alright." He said as he took a step away. "I know when I've overstayed my welcome." He then walked away from the two other teenagers without looking back, not responding to Videl's pleas for him to stay, that he shouldn't let be chased away by Sharpener. Seconds later the boy had disappeared from sight, leaving Videl with jus Sharpener and he brewing anger.

One of the most angry looks that the world had ever seen formed on the girl's face when she turned to the stupid oaf responsible for the scene just seconds earlier. The broad kid immediately held his hands up in defense, but he was too late to avoid Videl's fist flying at his face. A sickening crunch was heard as his nose cracked open under Videl's fist, streams of blood flowing over his jaw. He yelled in pain as he let himself fall to the ground.

"Thank you very fucking much, Sharpener!" Videl screamed at the figure rolling in grass. "You just had to go and let that giant ego of yours get in the way, didn't you? How many times do I have to make myself clear? I don't want you as my boyfriend, never, ever, EVER! So what you can is take that giant arrogance of yours and shove it up your ass! Cause you know what? You and me, it ain't gonna happen!"

Videl had to suppress the urge to kick Sharpener in the ribs as she stomped off angrily.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello people of earth and ! **

**I present to you: Great Expectations chapter 3! Yay! This chapter is still a bit short, but I think that the next one is going to be a lot longer. **

**For this chapter I have gotten some beta-ing assistance from the lovely Kanotari! I have worked with her in Team Dragon Star before so I know she's awesome, so why don't you go and check her out and see for yourself!**

**And now, please Read, review and Enjoy!**

Videl didn't even look back at the wincing and gasping teenager on the ground as she stomped back over the grassy fields, back to the halls of Orange Star High School. She was absolutely fuming, causing her to be oblivious to the stares she was receiving.

"Unbelievable," Videl muttered angrily as she walked into the main hall of the school, "I was having such a fun time with Gohan and that stupid oath has to go and ruin it all for me!"

The girl's anger had her hazed, causing her not to noticed the click-clacking of high heels on the linoleum floor. A set of green eyes locked on their target and their owner gracefully walked over to the fuming spawn of Satan.

"VIDEEEL!" Erasa's voice chimed through the busy school hallway. The angry teenager turned around in a fit of rage, having confused one blonde for another.

"WHAT?" Videl hissed through gritted teeth, causing Erasa to jump back nearly three feet. When the crimefighter realised her mistake her hands immediately shot up in defense. "Sorry E, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought you were somebody else."

Erasa placed her hand on her heart in an attempt to comfort her pounding heartbeat. "Geez Vi, what's got your panties in a bunch?"

Videl looked around to see if there was anybody that might be eavesdropping on their conversation. Noting that the hallways were way to busy to discuss something so private the raven-haired teen dragged her best friend along by her arm. The two girls did a lap of the school and stopped when they had found an unlocked empty classroom.

Videl didn't even get a chance to sigh before Erasa made her presence loud and clear.

"DETAILS!" the bubbly blonde chirped, the hunger for a juicy story clear in her eyes. "You obviously want this this to stay between us, so I want details!"

Videl cast her cerulean eyes to the floor beneath her feet for a few second as she pondered whether or not to tell Erasa about what had happened.

"I was meeting up with Gohan during lunchtime," she eventually spilled. Erasa's eyes turned the size of dinner plates when she heard a familiar name.

"Do you mean that Gohan that shares a math and a history class with us?" the green-eyed girl queried. "I heard that he's a real geek."

"That's the one," Videl replied as her eyes met her feet yet again, a slight blush glowing over her cheeks. Unbeknownst to Videl, Erasa was nearly dying on the inside. The school's gossip queen simply couldn't believe that Videl Satan had actually gone out on a date with a boy, and it was actually voluntary too! Erasa wanted to hear the entire story now; Videl Satan on a date with the school nerd definitely made her sixth sense for a good story go crazy.

"So what happened?" Erasa questioned.

Videl gave a deep sigh before starting to explain. "I was having lunch with Gohan and we decided to go outside because of the nice weather. We really hit it off and we turned out to have a lot in common. I was actually enjoying my time with him and time seemed to fly by so quickly. But then Sharpener came and he just had to ruin to fun, like always. He scared Gohan away, claiming that he was the one and only man for me."

Erasa merely rolled her eyes. "That giant ego of his is always getting him into trouble. So what did you do to him?"

"I broke that bastard's nose." Videl scoffed. "I certainly gave him what he had coming."

The blonde couldn't help but agree with that. "Yes, that is true. But I don't think that Sharpener is too big of a bad guy. He's just too stupid to see how he should be behaving."

"Well, I better hope so for him," Videl reasoned. "because using him as a punching bag is starting to become a little boring."

The two young women shared a laugh and then an embrace. Erasa gave her cerulean-eyed friend a heartwarming smile after releasing her from the hug.

"I'm so sorry Sharpener fucked up your date," the green-eyed girl laughed. "So tell me more about this Gohan. Where did the two of you meet?"

"In the library," Videl answered."He asked me if he could join me at the table."

"The library, I should've figured," Erasa chuckled. "Where else would you meet a nerd like that. So tell me..." she said with a clap of her hands. "What's he like? Do you think he's boyfriend material?"

Videl's face immediately flared up before she protested, "Erasa, don't be preposterous! You know that I have no interest in a boyfriend!"

"Well that nice little blush you have on your cheeks suggests otherwise," Erasa giggled in amusement. It was funny seeing Videl getting so shaken over the mere thought of a boy. "I have to admit, even though he's a nerd, he surely is a hottie to the tenth degree!"

"Erasa!" Videl said as she tried to hide her growing blush with her raven hair. "Just shut up, okay?"

-

The rest of the week crept by so utterly slowly that Videl had the feeling that time stood still. Gohan's seat during the math and history lessons remained empty for the following days. Every time Videl entered the classroom she hoped to see a big mess of spiky black hair to stand tall amongst the horde of students and to have those two onyx eyes greet her with their happy twinkle. But every time she was left completely disappointed. Her anger towards Sharpener didn't decrease in the least. Every time she saw the boy with the platinum hair walk by she felt like breaking his nose all over again.

Saturday felt like a relief to Videl. When she finally stepped into the library she could feel herself relax completely. That slightly damp smell of aged books reached her nostrils and the petite crimefighter felt her troubles flow away out of her. This moment of the week couldn't have come at a better time. Videl's mind had been clouded with thoughts over the incident on Monday the whole week and now it was time for her to take some time off.

A smile curled around her pink lips when her eyes met those of the library lady. Videl quickly paced over to the woman and greeted her happily.

"Hi!" Videl nearly cheered.

"Hi!" the other woman replied. The librarian was a woman of about thirty years old. Her brown hair went down to her shoulders and seemed to match her dark eyes scarily much. She was wearing a casual outfit since the library had no specific guidelines on clothing. A small rectangular nametag on her chest spelled "Isa."

Videl's eyes fell on the binder in front of Isa. What seemed like hundreds of tiny drawings had been doodled along the edges of the pages. The girl had spent enough time in the library to get to know Isa better and know that the woman had the unstoppable tendency to draw on every piece of paper she could get her hands on.

"Still haven't stopped drawing, I see?" Videl queried with amusement clear in her voice.

"You know it, never!" Isa laughed. Whenever the librarian spoke her slight french accent could be heard. "So what did you do for fun this week?"

Videl sighed before she spoke. "Nothing at all. It has kind of been a rough week."

Isa arched a brow in curiosity. "How come?"

Videl couldn't help but giggle a bit. "You'll never guess, Isa."

This caused Isa to frown slightly. "Je ne sais pas, Videl." Isa spoke. The woman only used her maternal language when she wanted to emphasize something. And now, just as usual, Isa would explain what she meant immediately afterwards. "I don't know, Videl. I won't know until you tell me."

"Fine," Videl caved in. She leaned over slightly and lowered the volume in her voice before she started. "I sort of had a date this Monday." It was extremely hard for her to pronounce the D-word, as if it was a profanity. Yet, it felt right once the words had finally escaped her lips.

Isa gave a small cry of delight. The woman might have not looked like it on the surface, but somewhere deep in her hazel eyes Videl could read the same hunger Erasa had, the constant urge to hear a juicy love drama.

"Tell me all about it!" The française called out eagerly. "Who did you meet with? What was he like? Did you guys hit it off? Was it romantic? Is he the one?" Isa nearly drooled in anticipation as she waited for a reply, like a hungry dog looking at a big juicy steak. Videl sweatdropped a bit, creeped out by how much Isa resembled Erasa just now.

"Well, I met him here at the library," Videl eventually replied. "We had lunch this Monday and I was having a really good time with him, but this guy who seems to believe he is the only right guy for me ruined our date."

Isa's eyes turned the size of dinner plates. She had just gone in to drama mode and couldn't wait to hear the rest.

"And that boy you were with?" the woman questioned with the readjustment of the glasses that framed her face.

"Haven't seen him since," Videl told, sadness suddenly gripping her throat.

Isa nearly had to pick up her jaw from the floor. "That's just awful! I bet the boy was really cute too, huh?" That question was more than enough for Videl to start avoiding the woman's penetrating stare.

"He is!" Isa chimed as she noticed Videl shift uncomfortably. "You nearly have it printed on your forehead! You have a crush on him, don't you?" The flaring blush that spread over the girl's cheeks was all the evidence that Isa needed. The woman gave a giggle.

"Okay, I know all that I need to know," the brown-eyed librarian laughed, "A\and I should really get back to my doodling- I mean work." Isa then returned to her binder and started working on the random scribbles like she hadn't done anything else for the past few hours. Videl rolled her eyes at the sight of the woman.

"Well then," Videl spoke to herself. "let's go and pick us out a good book to read!"

-

With every turn of a page Videl found herself dwindling deeper and deeper into the word painted by R. R. Martin. Every time her finger flicked another piece of paper she felt like she was riding amongst the Dorthraki herself, as if it had been her with the long silver hair and not princess Daenerys. Every new paragraph left her short of breath and her heart pounding in anticipation.

"Game of Thrones?" a voice rang, causing Videl to rip her stare loose from the book in her hands. "A little different than last time, but still good nonetheless."

the first thing that caught Videl's eye was a pair of khaki slacks. Directing her gaze three feet upward, her cerulean eyes met that happy twinkle that had been engraved in her memory for the whole week.

"Gohan!" Videl exclaimed happily. The other teenager gave a shy smile return which made Videl's insides melt. Gohan pulled a chair back at the table Videl had seated herself at and sat down after tossing his bag to the side. Videl was about to speak up but he cut her off before she had the chance to make a sound.

"Before you say anything," Gohan spoke, "I want you to know that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked out on our get together Monday and I definitely shouldn't have bailed school the rest of the week. I didn't mean to leave you with questions unanswered or with worry over me. If there is anything that I can do to make this whole ordeal better, just tell me."

A sincere smile curled around Videl's lips. Her small hand found Gohan's, her rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. She felt it hard not to blush as this was her most intimate moment with Gohan so far. Damn those silly girls, Erasa and Isa, filling her head with ideas. She didn't 'like' like the boy sitting across her! Or did she?

"Don't you worry about it," Videl told the boy. "There's no need for you to feel guilty. I didn't expect you to throw Sharpener around the field anyway, so you are forgiven."

Gohan sighed a sigh of relief and judging by his face a heavy burden had just fallen off of his shoulders.

"Thank god!" the black-haired boy sighed. "I came here in the hopes that you would find the goodness to forgive me, and now that I know that everything's cool between us, I have to leave."

Videl arched an eyebrow, giving Gohan a quizzical look. "Why do you have to go?"

Gohan shifted his weight uncomfortably, obviously not sure how to reply.  
"It's kind of... personal." he eventually replied, causing Videl to drop the subject. The teen flung his bag over his shoulder and took a look at the girl sitting at the table. "So... lunch on Monday?" he queried.

Videl gave a heartwarming smile in return. "Sure thing, Gohan." Videl watched Gohan turn in his spot and taking a few steps away from her. Suddenly the boy turned in his spot and gestured for Videl's attention.

"And FYI," Gohan giggled. "That stupid oaf of a Sharpener should be happy I didn't toss his sorry ass across the field. I only acted the way I did because I didn't want to scare you off."

Now it was Videl's turn to be curious. "What do you mean?"

But the reply never came. Gohan merely played her a wicked grin that made Videl feel as light as a feather before walking out of the library, leaving the girl with just the mental image of him baring his pearly whites to daydream about. Maybe Erasa and Isa were right, maybe Videl actually did like Gohan...

After drifting in her own thoughts for several minutes Videl realized that she had been staring ahead blankly for quite a while now. Glancing at her watch and taking note of the time the crimefighter decided that it was about time to go home. She rose from her chair and grabbed her back from the floor. She was about to fling the thing over her shoulder when she noticed something lying on the floor. She bent through her knees and grabbed it, letting it roll through her fingers to inspect it.

It was a small and transparent little container, about the size of the size of an old-fashioned film they used to put in cameras. Through the transparent material Videl could see two small pills lying on the bottom. When the girl turned the container around her eyes fell on a small label.

Prozac.


	4. Chapter 4

Videl inspected every single inch of the small plastic container as she let the thing roll through her fingers. Its only content, two small pills, rattled and clattered as they were flung round in their transparent prison.

"Prozac," her cerulean eyes read yet again as she inspected the label. Why would a little bottle of antidepressants be lying around in the library like that? The girl could barely imagine that the medicine belonged to Gohan, even though the evidence was clear as day. The black-haired boy seemed like the exact opposite of a depressed person, his eyes were the proof of that. The way Videl always saw them sparkle in happiness made the idea of Gohan having to see a shrink almost impossible.

Yet, even the the very first time she had stared into those onyx orbs of his Videl had seen that small tinge of sadness, buried away through the years. Like a scar that faded but never really went away.

As the girl flung her backpack over her shoulder she questioned whether she should ask Gohan about the pills during their lunch on Monday. In the worst of scenarios, he would get defensive and walk away. Videl was a pro at scaring boys away; she would be able to live if she frightened another one to near death. Just too bad that it had to be such a cutie...

_

The weekend crept by utterly slowly, or at least, way too slow in Videl's opinion. Sunday was characterized by nothing but massive downpour and grey clouds drawn against the skies. Life in Satan City seemed to stand still, leaving Videl with nothing but her thoughts for the rest of the weekend.

Maybe Gohan wasn't the boy she thought he was. Sure, she had only seen him like three times, but during their brief encounters Videl thought she had gotten to know him as a sweet and smart young boy. His love for a good read seemed just as strong as Videl's love for breaking faces. But now the girl wasn't sure what to think. Was Gohan an entirely different person than she had made him out to be? What else could he be trying to hide if the Prozac was actually his?

The petite crimefighter's mind also drifted off to the boy in more than a good way. Every time she thought of the boy with the black eyes and their meeting during lunch the day after her heart would rise above the skies and beyond. The thought of spending an entire hour with him, just the two of them, pulled Videl in and wouldn't let her go. And if Sharpener wanted to come along and ruin it for her again it was going to take a set of nerves right out of the freezer.

Monday came as a blessing, the second one in two weeks. The grey clouds that polluted the skies the day before were gone, allowing the sun to shine and illuminate the air with its warm glow. Videl rose with the sun, the chirping and singing of the birds forming the background music to the morning. She felt in good spirits from the very first moment she woke, happily humming a joyful tune as she went about her usual morning business. One could imagine the stares the girl received as she slammed through the doors of Orange Star High School with a grin from ear to ear.

After walking through the main hall and taking two rights, Videl's best friend came into view. The raven-haired girl had to suppress a shout as she ran towards the blonde, whose eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Videl in such a great mood.

"Hey sweetie!" Erasa chimed as the other young woman walked over. "You're awfully joyful today! Is it what I think it is?"

The girl with the cerulean eyes arched a brow in curiosity. "And what exactly are you thinking?" she said, suspicion clear in her voice.

The blonde gave an almost demeaning chuckle. "Like that isn't totally obvious, Vi," Erasa giggled. "You've been hanging around with Gohan again this weekend, haven't you? I kind of like the idea of the two of you sneaking around in the library like that!"

Videl had to prevent her jaw from hitting the floor. "How the hell do you know that?" she screeched in astonishment. "You don't even go near the library, how on Earth could you know that I saw him again this weekend?"

"You did WHAT?"

Both of the teenage girls turned around to the source of the sound. At first they only saw a locker seen slamming shut, but soon after a boy with platinum blonde hair was revealed to the eye. A smug look crossed the teen's face as he folded his arms in front of his chest. It was obvious that Sharpener tried to act his manliest as he casually leaned against his closed locker.

"I can't believe that you still see that stupid nerd!" Sharpener spat, a thick layer of arrogance coating his tone. "You should listen to me and date an actual man! Not some scrawny little pest that has his nose in the books more than Charlie Sheen in coke!"

That simple phrase was more than enough for Videl to blow her fuse, like Sharpener had done so many times before. Her eyes were almost glaring red, her conscious set to kill, nostrils flared and the eyebrows parallel.

"Did it ever occur to you that I read at least as much as he does?" the volume of her voice peaking with every new word. "And how many times do I have to tell you? I don't want your permission on who I hang out with! You aren't my father! And even my father wouldn't have a say in it! So let me tell you this for the very last time, Sharpener!"

Videl was nearly screaming at the top of her lungs, her small and slender finger deeply drilled into Sharpener's broad chest.

"I don't want any part of you and that arrogant attitude of yours! You will never EVER become my boyfriend! And if you EVER try to make a move on me again, I swear to the Otherworld themselves that I won't hesitate to snap you in half like the weak little twig that you are! You have nothing but your arrogance to hide behind, but when I'm through with you your pride isn't going to be the only thing crippled! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

Sharpener had stumbled back nearly three feet since the start of Videl's furious rant and the expression on his face was one of pure fear.

"Y-yes," he stuttered. "V-very clear."

The teen boy then continued to run away, not wanting anyone else to see his moment of shame. Videl simply rolled her eyes as she saw turn the corner, knowing that he would be up to the same bullshit just a week later.

The blonde who hadn't just ran away in terror gave an amused giggle as she saw her best friend puff out her last remaining traces of anger.

"You know that he won't change and that it will probably take only a day or three before he starts trying to seduce you again?"

Videl gave an affirmative nod. "Yeah, I really should snap him in half next time..."

The two young women shared a giggle and Erasa hooked her arm in Videl's before the duo started walking towards their first class of the day. The shorter of the two turned to the other as they strolled forward.

"Say E," Videl queried, grasping the taller girl's attention. "How did you know that I met with Gohan again this weekend?" She knew that Erasa was an absolute ninja when it came down to collecting the best gossip in all of Satan City, but the teen with love for literature simply couldn't fathom that Erasa had proof of her and Gohan's meeting in the library two days before.

The other teenager merely laughed. "Like I already said, Vi," the gossip queen replied. "You are just being way too obvious. Do you really believe that I haven't seen you stare at Gohan's empty seat during history and math last week? You seemed like a dog abandoned by its owner! That sad little look you got in your eyes every time that boy didn't show up blew your cover instantly. And now you're suddenly in the best of moods, walking through the school with a smile on your face. It's somewhat scary if you think about it. And since the only thing that managed to make you smile more than usual last week was that sexy black-haired booksmart it was clear as day that you met him again this weekend." Erasa rounded off her creepily accurate observation with a content grin as she saw Videl's face grow red in instants.

_

Videl tossed her bag aside and sat herself down on the soft and loamy uncut grass. For a brief moment the girl savored the warm rays of the sun that danced over her face and the sense of tranquility that it came with. her attention was however soon focused on the tall figure standing before her and blocking her sun. Just like two days earlier the spawn of Satan had to strain her neck quite a bit before she was able to see up high enough. When her eyes met that already so trusted happy glint in onyx irises a smile adorned her face.

Videl's mood grew even better when Gohan sank through his knees and sat himself down in the comforts of the green grass as well. The smile he played her as they met eyes again shut down the crimefighter's train of thought instantly.

Chit-chatter soon commenced and the two teenagers quickly felt at their most comfortable around each other, just as usual. They talked about school and, of course, books. Also new material of discussion finally saw the light of day.

"Really?" Videl giggled in curiosity with the arch of a brow. "Why do I remind you of Daenerys from A Game Of Thrones?" She pulled her backpack in closer as she waited for a reply.

Gohan gave a chuckle. "Well, you both share quite a few traits!" The black-haired boy used his fingers for the counting. "Both of you have been standing in your father's shadows for as long as you can fathom and both of you have quite a legacy to uphold."

Videl pondered his answer for a second or two. Now that she thought about it his explanation made sense. "And what else?" she queried as she zipped her backpack open in the search for her lunch.

The boy hesitated for a second, something Videl had never seen in him before. Gohan somewhat avoided her gaze as he spoke in a shy voice.

"You also remind me of Dany because whenever I think of her and all her beauty I can't help but to secretly think of you."

Videl deeply wished that she could've taken off her face right then and there. Her features turned to a deeper shade of red than ever before, which she desperately and with no chance of succeeding by draping her raven hair in front of her face. Her worry of making an ass out of herself was somewhat diminished as she saw a tint of pink creep over Gohan's cheeks too. Did that mean something? Did that remark just now imply that he liked her just as much as she liked him? And did the response she gave blow her cover? As the girl's thoughts raced through her head at the speed of light she started grappling through her backpack, not even looking where her hand was going. In the meanwhile all she could do was think of a way to steer the conversation out of the awkward zone.

"A-nd how about you?" Videl eventually managed to mumble. "Do you have any daddy issues?" And that was when her fingers touched something small inside her backpack. She could faintly hear her nails tap against the thick plastic and the sound of pils rattling could be heard to the close-listening ear. Videl's heart jumped and she hoped with all of her heart that Gohan hadn't heard anything. She turned to the other teenager and acted as if nothing happened, as if she had just been awaiting his reply.

The boy's brow furrowed as he folded his arms in front of his chest. "Well, I guess you can say that we both have a big weight pressing down on our shoulders when it comes to our dads."

Videl was now peeking inside her backpack, pretending to be looking for her lunch box. As her eyes fell on the tiny container she wondered whether she should ask Gohan if the pills were really his. All of the signs had pointed towards it back in the library yet Videl still couldn't fathom that Gohan would need antidepressants. She wondered how the boy in front of her would react if she asked him. Would he get mad? Would he deny, or or the opposite, admit? Videl wanted Gohan to know that if the pills were actually his that she would be there for him, that she wanted to be his shoulder to cry on if he ever needed one.

But she didn't have the courage. Something deep inside her didn't want to question the idea of Gohan's happiness. Somewhat mentally slapping herself Videl pulled her lunch box out of her backpack and turned back to Gohan.

"What do you mean," Videl queried in return to Gohan's reply as she tried to force her mind back on the conversation. "Do you have some super arrogant and ego-horny father as well?"

Gohan casted his eyes at the leaves of grass below him. His silence concerned Videl. It took the boy a minute before raising his head back up and speaking.

"I would rather not talk about it."

Videl didn't even get a chance to come with a rebuttal question before the school bell announced the end of the midday break, even before the girl had gotten a chance to eat her lunch. Gohan elevated himself from the ground and offered Videl his hand, who gladly accepted.

"So I guess that I'll see you in history class tomorrow?" Gohan questioned as the two teens walked back into the school building.

Videl gave an affirmative nod and grinned in return when she saw Gohan play her a smile before walking away. Once her friend was out of sight she stood still in the middle of the hallway. Her mind was clouded with thoughts over what had happened the past hour. She hadn't been able to muster up the courage to ask Gohan about the pills and she couldn't feel like more of a coward. She was Videl Satan, for Kami's sake! She wasn't afraid of giant criminals with guns, so why should she be afraid of a slender and nerdy teenage boy?

Also, why did Gohan close down like that when she asked him about his father? Was there something that he was trying to hide about him? Wasn't he on a very good par with his dad? And why did his mood darken when he said that he also felt a lot of pressure coming from his father's end?

But what kept Videl's mind occupied the most was how Gohan had told her that she was beautiful to him. The way his cheeks had flushed pink had been the proof of his sincerity. Videl was finally starting to acknowledge her own feelings towards the boy and then he had to go and tell her something like that. Now the girl felt confused, not able to believe that the feelings she had could be mutual.

As Videl walked past a row of lockers she remembered that Gohan had told her his locker number during their first lunch. The gears in her head started to turn and soon an idea was formed. As she scurried through the hallways her eyes scanned the lockers to her sides, looking for the correct number. Upon finding it she looked around to see if she was raising any suspicion. When she thought the coast was clear she slipped a hair clip in the lock on the red locker door and after a bit of moving the pin back and forth a soft click was heard before the locker swung open.

Reaching into her backpack the girl soon found a sheet of paper and a pencil. She slammed the sheet against the locker and quickly penned something down before placing the paper in Gohan's locker. Finally her cerulean eyes scanned the inside of her backpack and she soon found the little bottle of Prozac. She placed the medicine on top of the sheet of paper and walked away casually, as if nothing happened.

Gohan, after you left the library this Saturday I found these pills right about where you had been sitting. I don't know whether they're yours or not, but if they are I want you to know that there is nothing to be ashamed about. You can always be honest and open to me, I promise.

Videl.

_

Gohan's feet touched ground in front of the little dome-shaped building in the middle of nowhere. He slowly trotted over to his family home, his mind racing as he entered.

"I'm home!" he shouted through the confines of the building. He walked into the living room and dropped his book bag by the coatrack. His ears perked when there was no reply to his arrival, but when he heard the usual sounds coming from the kitchen he decided to just let it be. The boy nearly jumped on the couch and immediately sank back once he felt the comfortable cushions below him.

Gohan exhaled deeply and buried his face in his palms. Today had been quite... well... extraordinary. He had had lunch with videl once again and he had to admit that it was one of the most anticipated events of the last few months, as sad as it sounded. But every time his onyx eyes locked on Videl Gohan felt like he was soaring high above the clouds, even though his feet were firmly anchored on the ground. That girl did things to his head hat he had never experienced before. And the boy had to admit, he didn't exactly mind.

The first time Gohan had seen Videl he had almost been too afraid to ask if he could take a seat by the table with her. An image formed in the teenager's mind of what he would be doing right now if he hadn't. Probably the very same thing, but with the anticipation of dinner in mind instead of the anticipation of seeing Videl smile again.

A delightful smell started to waft from the kitchen, causing the black-haired Saiyan to spread his nostrils in delight. Okay, maybe the anticipation of a nice home cooked meal hadn't gone away completely.

"Mom," Gohan shouted in the direction of the Son's kitchen. "What's for dinner?"

Even before he got his reply his mind was already back to the girl that drove his senses insane. Simply everything Videl said or did managed to linger in his mind for hours on end, the reel stuck on repeat. Every time Videl came into his sight he felt his knees grow weaker by the second and his insides melt. The relaxed yet graceful way she moved mesmerized him like the swift and beautiful movements of a ballerina. A bat of her long eyelashes to reveal the colour of the deepest oceans made him want to stare in her eyes for hours. He could already imagine her fighting, her trained down figure swaying back and forth with grace, her feminine curves not tucked away by years of intense training. Even the sound of her voice was enough for Gohan to nearly lose his mind. That and the extremely cute way Videl bit her lower lip as she thought...

"Mom!" Gohan called out again, this time adding a little more volume to his voice. "I asked what's for dinner!"

No reply.

Gohan raised a brow. Why hadn't his mother acknowledged his presence yet? Normally she would almost run to the living room to greet him and put to his homework as she made dinner. Maybe she was on the phone and she could hear her son. Yeah, that was probably it.

The teenager lifted himself off the couch and and made his way to the kitchen. The wooden door opened with a small shriek of protest before Gohan stepped into the other room.

Nobody.

Gohan was really puzzled now. At this time of day his mother would've probably punished herself for being a busy bee in the kitchen yet. Yet the kitchen was empty. No pots or pans were standing over a burning fire, no Chi-Chi to sweep up the dust from the floor. Had Gohan's senses been fooling him, having him imagine scents and aromas?

I wonder where mom is. The boy thought to himself. Maybe she's in her room.

And with that Gohan exited the kitchen. It took him only a few seconds to get from one side of the small house to the other and in a seconds time he was facing the door to his mother's bedroom. Knocking first he pushed the piece of wood open and stepped into the confines of the room.

Nobody.

There was also nobody here. Everything was the way he remembered it though. As Goha let his eyes scan the room there wasn't a single thing that he found off, nothing that made his alarm bells ring. Everything was he way it was supposed to be. The two-person bed in the middle of the room, the dresser with pictures of him as a child and even the layer of dust on the old heart monitor on the right side of the bed.

An eerie feeling gripped Gohan's throat as he walked over to the piece of machinery. With his breath held he swiped a finger over the top, leaving a thick smudge of dust on his index finger. His mind had been playing tricks on him just now, he was certain of that by now.

_Beep... beep... beep..._

"No!" Gohan shouted as she slammed the heart monitor to the side. "NO!"

_Beep... beep... beep..._ the highly irritating sound wouldn't go out of his head.

_Beep... beep... beep..._ It was like it was stuck in the back of his mind, only there to drive him fucking crazy.

_Beep... beep... beep... _

"STOP IT! STOP IT!" Gohan screamed as he pushed his hands against his ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound. "STOP IT!"

"Gohan..." a weak voice spoke, causing the teen to look up. "Please, don't over excite yourself sweetheart. I don't want to waste my last precious moments trying to comfort you..."

Right before him in the bed was his mother. Her face was pale and skinny, thick bags under her eyes. Tubes and wires had been placed in her arms in multiple spots, one of them leading to heart monitor which was now slowly beeping on par with Chi-Chi's heartbeat.

"Sweetie..." Chi-Chi spoke after a coughing fit. "It's okay. I can understand that you're upset. But sometimes people have to leave this world a little earlier than others and there is nothing that we can do about it. I just want to know that I'm ready, Gohan. My time is now and I just have to accept that. Just keep in mind that I will always love you and that I-"

_Beep..._

"NO!" Gohan screamed as the heart monitor flatlined. "MOM! You can't leave me, I need you!" Gohan nearly fell to the floor as he sank through his knees. his hand reached out for his mother's, but his fingers enclosed nothing but air.

"W-what?" Gohan questioned out loud. "W-what is this?"

The room was as empty as it was when he had walked in and everything, aside from the heart monitor was still in place. Thinking he was about to go crazy Gohan kicked the heart monitor away and lowered himself to the floor, his face hidden in his hands.

"What the hell is going on with me?"


	5. Chapter 5

**REAL FANS READ THIS NOTE FIRST!**

**Nah, I shouldn't have done that. You aren't being forced to read this note, but I would like it if you did anyway. **

**This chapter, just like the previous one and the one before that have been beta'd by Kanotari, and she did an excellent job once again ;)**

**Secondly, as you may or may not have noticed, Great Expectations now has its very own cover! It was designed by the lovely Lilly-Sama, who also happened to have a cameo as Isa in chapter 3, go check her out!**

**And finally, this chapter has a cameo by no one other than SierraLarson, my TDS momma :3. **

**Now please, Read, Review and Enjoy!**

Gohan had no clue how long he had been lying there. It could've been a few seconds, minutes, maybe even hours. All he could remember was that he had stormed out of the room in a confused daze. After that he had picked up the telephone in the living room and made a call, just before the anxiety finally took its toll on the teenager and he collapsed to the ground in an emotional mess. After that, time seemed to stand still. Time dragged by slowly as he laid there, unable to process whatever had happened back in his mother's room. Only the soft and rhythmic ticking of the clock could give the boy a rough indication of how long he had been lying on the floor. Not that it even mattered. At the moment nothing seemed to matter. The only thing that occupied his mind was that annoying beep that still vaguely sounded in the back of his head and the feeling as if a block of concrete was weighing down his chest.

But finally, after what seemed like more than an eternity a knock on the door was heard. Gohan slowly rose from his spot on the hardwood floor and walked towards the door at turtle speed. He wiped the remaining traces of dried up tears from under his eyes, not wanting his guest to see him in such a state of anxiety. After exhaling deeply, the teenager turned the doorknob and the door of the tiny little Son residence swung open.

Standing in the doorway was a relatively short woman. Her dark blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and a small pair of glasses framed her face. After adjusting them back onto her nose properly the woman sighed deeply, obviously in the need of a deep and proper breath.

"I-I c-came as fast as I could," the woman panted as she leaned against the doorframe. "Traffic was a total bitch."

Even without the usual greeting, Gohan gestured for the woman to step inside. She did so right away, dragging along a small suitcase with her. By now Gohan was familiar with the suitcase and didn't even read the words printed on the side anymore.

"Sierra L. Private Psychiatry."

Sierra almost immediately made use of the green sofa in the middle of the living room, planting herself down in the soft and comfortable cushions. She took her suitcase in her lap and used her thumbs to open it, the two small locks giving a soft click as they opened. After a few seconds of searching the woman took out a notepad and a pen and discarded her suitcase to the side.

"Start explaining," Sierra bluntly stated as she gestured at the open spot next to her. "What the hell is going on?"

Gohan took the appointed place on the couch and kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

"It's happening again," the boy answered. "The delusions, they've returned."

This mere statement caused Sierra to let out a huge groan. Sierra had been Gohan's shrink for quite a long time now and she had seen the boy go through several phases of mental stability. She had been the person to prescribe him the Prozac once she noticed how bad his problems had become. The boy's depression had spiraled down so badly to the point where his mind was starting to play tricks on him. At first Sierra thought that a few good talks would help Gohan with the problems that he had to face, but it turned out that whatever had been gnawing at the boy was buried a lot deeper than she had initially thought.

"I don't understand how," Gohan said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "You said that if I took the Prozac that it would die down, but right before you came I had one of the most vivid delusions I've ever had!"

"Okay," Sierra mumbled as she scribbled down a few note on her notepad. "Let's just start at the very beginning. I know that we've been over this before, but I want to discuss it again anyway. When did these delusions start?" the woman queried as she tapped her notepad with the back of her pen in the wait of a reply.

Gohan rubbed his eyes with his knuckles before he spoke. He felt absolutely exhausted after his outburst earlier.

"These delusions started..." the black-haired boy was silent for a few seconds as he clearly had trouble bringing the last few words of the sentence over his lips. "...when my mother died," he eventually spilled. Saying those few words increased the weight on the young Saiyan's chest almost a thousandfold. He hated being reminded of that time in his life. Every time it sailed through his train of thoughts, it would sting like a million killer bees.

"Hmmh..." Sierra absently hummed as she continued to jot down note after note. "So, tell me more about your mother's passing. Maybe it will help uncover why your emotions have been acting up so severely lately."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a time of rainbows and sunshine, that's for sure," Gohan replied as he sank back in the couch a little further. "About four years ago my mom was starting to experience some headaches that simply wouldn't go away. At first the doctor assumed that she was having a pretty bad case of chronic migraines and he prescribed her some painkillers."

Gohan paused momentarily. He felt himself getting upset, so he had to take a few seconds to cool down. It wasn't sadness though, it was a kindling rage against the doctor who had treated his mother four years ago. How could that moron have made such a big mistake?

"So my mother started taking her medicine, just like she was supposed to," Gohan continued. "The headaches went away pretty quickly and she thought that the issue had been resolved. But after a few weeks she was starting to develop more health complaints. She would feel sick for days on end and I would have to be at home twenty-four-seven to take care of anything that she might need help with. At first we thought that it was the possible side effects from the medicine she was taking, so we went back to the doctor to see what the problem was. The man didn't want to rule out any possibility this time, so he had my mother do about every test known in modern medicine."

Another pause, this time to swallow the lump in his throat. The boy could feel a stray tear starting to well up as he knew what part of the story was to follow.

"When the results came back it turned out that my mother had a benign brain tumor. The doctor told her that it was too late for it to be removed. I got so angry at that stupid quack that I threw his desk through the room before leaving. I just couldn't believe that someone could screw up like that. It made me want to hurl just thinking about it."

A small tear was rolling down Gohan's cheek as he let out a sob. His mother had died for nothing! It all could've been prevented, but some incompetent idiot in a lab coat had been too stupid to do his job correctly. And his mother was the one who had to atone for that.

Sierra's eyes didn't leave the sheet of paper in front of her as she took in the information she had heard on several occasions before.

"And after you left the doctor's, what happened then?"

Gohan's sobbing started to grow louder as he tried his best to finish his story. The teenager had to wipe a few tears away to prevent them from obscuring his view.

"My mom didn't leave the house after that," Gohan answered as he swallowed the lump in his throat again. "She was bed bound almost immediately. It didn't take long for her situation to worsen and just three weeks later she wasn't even able to leave her bed anymore. I gradually watched her grow sicker and sicker, I could just see the lights in her eyes starting to fade even before she actually died. And when she finally passed away, I felt like I was all alone in this world. I still don't tell people that she died, I simply can't bear to tell."

Gohan sniveled as he watched Sierra scribble down her final notes. The woman then put her pen away and took off her glasses before looking at Gohan.

"And what exactly did you see before I arrived?" the psychiatrist queried.

"I saw my mother," Gohan said, biting back another sob "In her deathbed. As she spoke her final words to me..."

Gohan really started crying at this point. Sierra decided to let the boy be. She didn't feel close enough to him to be the person to comfort him in those rough times he was going through. He needed someone for that that was really able to connect with him, not someone who listened to his stories and then prescribed him some pills.  
As the crying returned to sobbing and even the whimpers died down Gohan was finally able to pull himself together. After wiping his eyes clean from salty liquid he turned to Sierra, who sent a warm smile in his direction.

"Okay," Sierra started once the whole scene had returned to peace. "Now that we have that part of the story covered we can talk about the present a bit more. Would you say that there have been any major changes in your daily life?"

Gohan furrowed his brow as he thought the question through. "Not that I know of, really. Although I have been feeling a lot more cheerful the past three weeks or so."

Sierra arched a brow in curiosity. "Really?" she asked, her voice hinting towards excitement. "That's actually something really good. Maybe I don't have to up your dose of Prozac after all. Tell me, when did this start?"

Gohan scratched the back of his head and a goofy grin sprawled over his face in the trademarked Son fashion. "Well... it's kind of embarrassing..."

A small smile curled around Sierra's lips as she looked at him over the frame of her glasses.

"I bet it's what keeps all boys of your age occupied most of the time," the shrink giggled in amusement. "You met yourself a girl, didn't you?"

Gohan felt himself growing uncomfortable as the woman stared at him with eyes big of anticipation. It reminded the boy about Bulma and her love for gossip and the hunger for a nice romantic story.

"Yeah," the teen sheepishly admitted. There was no point in trying to hide the truth from a shrink, they would peel it out of you anyway. "I guess that's what you could call it."

"So tell me," Sierra smiled. "What's this girl like? She must be a real something if she managed to screw your brains like that."

A pink tint creeped over Gohan's cheeks when the thought of Videl came to mind. Sierra was right, that girl was totally something.

"Well, she's one of the sweetest girls I've ever met, and she's real smart too. I guess that you can say that she's kind of... well... cute... I mean the way she bites her lower lip when she thinks is just adorable..." Gohan rambled on and on, his face growing redder on each word he spoke.

Sierra could help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside upon seeing the boy so incredibly distraught over a girl, it was just too cute.

"Well it seems that you've found yourself someone that could really change your life around," Sierra concluded. "Normally I don't just give a patient the advice to get into new close and intimate relationships during their treatment but I think that I can make an exception for you."

"And why would that be, If I might ask?" Gohan asked in curiosity.

Sierra pushed her small glasses back on her nose and discarded her notepad to the side before she gave an answer.

"You've been struggling with this depression of yours for way too long now, Gohan," the woman replied. "Normally people in treatment for such an ailment can experience something so close and emotional as a relationship as a very bad influence. it completely kicks their own emotions and interpretations out of whack and that would most likely result in the patient's situation getting worse. But with you, Gohan, it's just something entirely different."

Sierra reached out and took a hold of one of Gohan's big hands. She looked the boy straight into his onyx eyes as she played him a warm and ensuring smile.

"You just told me that this girl makes you feel genuinely happy," Sierra continued to explain. "And I believe you when you say that. I've come to know you more than just about anyone these past few years and I can see in your eyes that you're telling me the truth. And the fact that there is a girl out there that manages to put a smile on your face for the first time in such a long time has me thinking that you should just go for it. If there's anyone that can help you out of this situation it's probably her. And who knows, maybe she'll provide a listening ear as well. One that doesn't charge you by the hour!"

The two on the couch shared a laugh and the whole scene returned to a warm and pleasant peace.

"Great advice Sierra," Gohan smiled at the woman. "But she isn't even my girlfriend. Kami knows how much I want her to be, but I have no idea on how to approach her in that sense. Sure, I've given her a compliment every now and then, but that's about all that I managed. I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not that much of a ladies man."

Sierra couldn't help but giggle. Aside from the fact that the boy in front of her was finally starting to recover from what might be one of the worst cases of depression ever, the whole thing reminded her a bit of one of those cheesy teen dramas. Having seen more than enough of them herself, Sierra knew how to lift the boy's spirits.

"Okay," the psychiatric mumbled as she took her notepad back in her lap. "Then I guess that I'll just have to prescribe you something. Here's a recipe that you can trade in for the following: one dose of confidence, two shots of sense of of humor and just a little bit of boyish good looks."

The woman couldn't suppress a laugh as she handed Gohan the piece of paper. The young Saiyan couldn't prevent a grin from crossing his face either as he accepted it.

"Thanks Sierra," Gohan said with sincerity. "But I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off, it seems hard to approach her in that way."

"I will have none of that!" Sierra protested as she put on a fake frown. "You just go ahead and let your feelings for whoever that girl is guide you on your way and I promise you that it will all turn out alright."

_I sure hope so..._ Gohan thought to himself.

* * *

The next day Gohan managed to drag himself to school after the usual struggles. Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes the teen walked through the halls of Orange Star on his way to his locker.

Gohan had spent a big part of the night overthinking the current situation between him and Videl. Sierra had been right, the raven-haired beauty did make him feel truly happy. He had come to the conclusion that Videl probably was the right person to help him through his tough times, but he wasn't exactly sure on how to approach Videl and let her know that he liked her. HIs depression was also somewhat of a huge obstacle. Gohan didn't want any secrets to be kept from Videl should anything happen between the two of them and frankly the demi-Saiyan was afraid of how she would respond.

Halting in front of his locker the black-haired boy pondered on what to do. He wasn't exactly too intent on telling Videl right away, but she certainly had the right to know. As he opened his locker he felt like his mind was jammed, as if he was never going to come to a helpful conclusion.

And then Gohan saw something in his locker. Something he thought he had lost several days ago. as he took the small bottle of Prozac from his locker the Saiyan's eyes fell on a small note that had been under his antidepressants. As he scanned the writing he gave a sigh of relief.

Videl knew already. Well... knew already was kind of big thing to say, but she was aware of his situation. She said that she wanted to be there for him. Gohan felt his heart rise a bit with the idea of being able to talk to someone else then Sierra when he was having a difficult time.  
And that was when something else came to mind. He had absolutely NO clue on what he would say to Videl the next time they met. He couldn't just go and avoid the subject of the Prozac as if nothing had happened, that would imply that he never used his locker. And the worst part of that was that the two of them shared a math class starting in fifteen minutes. Gohan probably wouldn't know what to say and he disliked the idea of an awkward silence between him and the girl of his dreams.

Gohan slammed his locker shut and walked away through the halls. After having taken a turn or two he found what he had been looking for, a locker belonging Videl. The Satan girl had picked the lock to his locker as well, so why wouldn't he be allowed to do the same? In the blink of an eye he had opened the big metallic door and was able to see the contents.

The teenager pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his backpack and scribbled down a note for Videl to read. Now all he could do was hope that she would show up.

* * *

The day hadn't exactly been a blast to Videl, and that would be pressing the matters lightly. What started out as a joyful morning was quickly covered by a thick fog of disappointment when Gohan had failed to show up for school again. After that the girl had been on edge for the rest of the day and luckily the look of approaching thunder on her face prevented most people to speak to her.

When the final bell rang Videl felt like she had just been released from prison. All she wanted to do was go home. All she had to do before she left was get some stray books out of her locker. She nearly sprinted towards the damn thing, not wanting to wait a second longer to get out of this hellhole.

The Satan girl didn't know how fast she had to open her locker and to grab the books she had to take home. It wasn't until after she had slammed the metal door shut until she saw a piece of paper which had fallen out. Videl picked it up and read the neat handwritten note.

_Dear Videl. _

_Your suspicions aren't failing you. That little bottle of Prozac that you found does belong to me. I hope that I didn't give you any scares. _

_You offered to listen to me if I ever needed help. I'm happy to see that you care about me that much and that's why I want to ask you to come to the roof of the school right after school. I'll be glad to tell you about the situation that I'm currently in. I'll be waiting there for you if you decide to show up. _

_Gohan. _

Videl immediately felt her heart rise when she realised that she was still going to see Gohan  
today. She felt like sprinting towards the school's roof, but her train of thought caused her to slow down significantly. She had absolutely no clue what Gohan was going to tell her once she got there. the only thing that came to mind was that it had something to do with his father, seeing that the subject had been quite touchy to the boy. Dragging herself along slowly up several flights of stairs Videl reached the emergency exit that led to the school's gigantic roof. With her hand on the door handle Videl let out a deep sigh before opening the door.

A chilly breeze immediately made the hairs on her arm stand up as she stepped outside. The wind decided to play with her raven pigtails as she scanned the roof for the boy she was supposed to meet. He was standing right by the edge, looking down at the sea of students slowly flowing out of the school and watching them deplete as they went home.

Gohan didn't turn around as Videl closed the heavy door, which gave a click as it fell into its lock.

"I knew you'd come," Gohan spoke as Videl took several steps in his direction. "I don't know why, but I was certain of it." he turned to face the cerulean-eyed girl, a smile spread across his face. The girl smiled in return, happy to see the other teenager again.

"So you wanted to talk to me?" Videl questioned when Gohan finally stood in front of her.

"Yes, I did," Gohan replied. "I really wanted to talk to you about that Prozac of mine that you found." the boy casted his gaze to his feet, not wanting to look Videl in the eyes as he mentioned the antidepressants.

"The thing is..." the teen continued as he shifted a bit uncomfortably. "It is a very long and frankly I don't think that this is the time and place for that."

Videl arched a brow in curiosity. "Why would that matter? I've got all the time in the world and I'm all ears."

Gohan gave a chuckle. " That's not the issue, really. I just don't believe that this is the right setting for you to hear the story about an emotionally damaged teenage boy. I'd rather take you out to dinner first."

Videl felt her stomach drop. Either her mind was playing tricks on her or Gohan had just asked her out.

"W-what?" was all the Satan girl managed to utter.

"You heard me correctly," Gohan said. " want to take you out to dinner, Videl. Take you out to dinner as in ' date'. So would you please do this young man a favor and be his date for the night? I promise you that afterwards we can pick a nice and quiet spot where I will tell you all about myself, but I want you to see the good side of me first."

Videl was near speechless. Gohan really wanted to take her out on a date!

" B-b-but why would you want to call it a date?" she queried in confusement. "It's not like we're boyfriend and girlfriend, right?"

Gohan let out a little sigh. ' Okay, Videl, there is no easy way to put this. I like you. And with that I mean 'like' like you. And there is nothing that would make me happier than taking you out on a date tonight."

Videl had never felt this happy in her entire life. I had taken a while for her to realise how easily she had fallen in love with the boy standing in front of her, but now it was as clear as day to her. She wanted to be with Gohan more than anything right now and this literally changed everything. Finally she had high hopes on being able to see Gohan as more than a friend, and it made her happier than anything.

" S-sure,' Videl eventually answered. "I'll go out with you."

This caused Gohan to smile so wide that Videl thought his mouth could rip open if he wasn't careful.

"But on one condition," Videl interjected as Gohan was about to speak up. " Tonight I get to see the real Gohan."

"Consider it done!" the boy retorted. "But that means that I have to go now and get ready for tonight."

With those words he walked towards the fire exit. When his hand was on the door Gohan turned around quickly and gestured for Videl's attention.

"Oh, and one more thing; don't spend too much time on your appearance, your beautiful enough as it is."


	6. Chapter 6

**Say WHAAAT? Anotther cameo? yes, another cameo :3. this time by the lovely Kanotari, who has been a lovely help in the beta'ing field so far.**

**Seeing how much I have updates so far I assume that this is the longest you guys had to wait for a new chapter. So i decided to make up for that by bringin you the by far longest update yet. Without this author's note this chapter is just over 7000 words, so I hope that you guys are in for a read :D. **

**So now, please Read Review and Enjoy!**

Time seemed to stand still as Videl paced back and forth through her bedroom. Every few seconds, she glanced at the clock on the wall, desperately hoping that time would hurry up already.

Breaking the news about her sudden date to her father hadn't exactly been easy on the Satan girl. Her father had protested and yelled, pleading that Videl was still way too young to go out on dates. His anger and frustration gave Videl the idea that it was 7 in the morning all over again.

And of course Videl had protested as well. She was a young woman now, not that small little girl that Hercule had once known. Maybe she was still his 'special little girl' to him, but the man simply had to realize that little girls grow too. Videl was old enough to make her own decisions; she didn't need her father's guidance in that. The World Champion of Martial Arts had gone as far as using the press to strengthen his argument, saying that it would be bad publicity to the family name if his daughter would be spotted with an unknown teenage boy. Videl had in her defense promised to smash any camera pointed at either her or Gohan. When her father still refused to let her go the girl had stomped off angrily, yelling that it was her life and that she "could do whatever the fuck she wanted with it.''

Sighing heavily Videl opened her closet and stepped in front of the mirror attached to the door. She had promised Gohan that she wouldn't stress about her appearance for their date, that she was beautiful enough the way she was. Yet the raven-haired beauty couldn't help herself from spending the few needed moments studying her own reflection, trying to work out every small imperfection that she could find. Erasa would be proud of her, yet Videl could almost smack herself for worrying about how she looked that much, but since tonight was a special occasion she decided to let it slide for once.

Time didn't pass as quickly as Videl had hoped, leaving her with barely anything else to do but walk another lap through her bedroom. Gohan had promised to tell his story to her after the two of them had gone out for dinner, and frankly Videl had no idea what to expect. Even though she hadn't known the boy for all that long all the background info that she had on him was intriguing, to say the least. Come to think of it, the story of a teenage boy with a severe depression would be an instant bestseller.

But that wasn't the only thing that had kept Videl's mind occupied over the past few hours. Back on the roof of the school Gohan had come clean and confessed his feelings toward her. The cerulean-eyed bookworm had felt her heart rise upon hearing his confession. It had taken her a while herself, but by now she knew she had an inevitable crush on the black-haired teen. Upon finding out that the feelings she had for Gohan were returned she felt so happy that she could almost burst into song. Good thing she didn't, seeing as she was even worse at singing than she was at keeping her cool.

When the doorbell finally rang Videl slightly jumped in surprise. After she realised that it had been the doorbell that had interrupted her train of thoughts her heartbeat nearly doubled in frequency. Gohan was here, finally!

The girl studied her reflection in front of the mirror one final time before she walked out her room, down the endlessly long flight of stairs on her way to the front door. With every step she come closer to the door her feelings of anxiety quadrupled. She could barely hold herself together at the thought of Gohan and seeing that gorgeous small smile curl around his lips. With her head high in the clouds Videl stepped down the last few steps of the staircase. She was almost at the front door when she felt her stomach drop like a brick.

Her father was standing by the main entrance of the Satan manor, his arms crossed in front of his chest and a less than contempt expression on his aging face. The spawn of Satan had to suppress a scream of anger; of course her father had to go and meddle in her affairs, just as always.

''What the hell do you think you're doing?'' Videl hissed through gritted teeth as she barged over to her father. "I thought I told you that I didn't want you sticking your nose in my business, or didn't I make myself clear enough?"

''Oh relax, pumpkin," Hercule spoke in an attempt to console his fuming offspring. "I'm not planning on ruining your little date with this boy even though I couldn't disagree more with the idea of you going out with him. I just want to ask the kid some questions, see if he's any good for you. That's all."

Videl felt her heart skip a beat as Hercule opened the door.

''Ah, I assume that you're Gohan," the martial artist's voice sounded. ''So I hear that you want to take my daughter out on a date.''

* * *

Gohan was standing in front of the giant hardwood front door of the Satan mansion. His heart was beating at the speed of sound and he had to resist the urge to turn on the spot and run for his life.

Of course he wanted to go on this date with Videl; he wanted it more than anything in the whole world. The idea of him and the Satan girl going out to dinner and simply enjoying each other's company seemed like a dream come true. Gohan could already imagine how their date would go into the finest detail.

The only thing that prevented the half-breed Saiyan from ringing the doorbell right away was the promise that he had made to Videl earlier the same day. As the two of them had stood on the roof of the school Gohan had promised to tell the story about his depression to Videl and that certainly wasn't going to be easy.  
Yeah, sure, Gohan was completely fine with telling Videl about why he had been carrying around antidepressants; she had a right to know. The thing was that the teenager didn't want to lie to the girl, but that was something that just proved to be impossible. If Videl wanted to know exactly why Gohan was in such a state of mental illness she was going to have to hear his entire life story. And by that he meant all of it.

And that was exactly the problem. If Gohan was going to tell Videl everything that had eventually led up to his depression she was going to write him off as insane as well. That was understandable, of course, seeing that the Saiyan teen had experienced things that bordered on the downright impossible. If he was going to tell his ENTIRE story, he would also have to tell about Saiyans, Ki control and that he was actually the person to defeat Cell. It wasn't that he didn't want Videl to know, but Gohan just didn't want to risk losing the raven-haired girl almost right after she walked into his life and brightened even his darkest of days.

Also, opening up like that to Videl certainly wasn't going to be easy, no matter how he brought it. Having to tell the girl from the library exactly why he had to take his daily dose of Prozac made confessing his feelings towards her seem like a walk in the park.

Hoping for the best Gohan eventually pressed the small button next to the door and half a second later the sound of the doorbell ringing could be heard. When the door swung open Gohan expected to meet two of the most beautiful cerulean eyes, but was instead greeted by a thick moustache and a Ronald McDonald afro.

''Oh, hi Mr. Satan,'' Gohan greeted with a polite bow. ''Is Videl around by any chance?''

Hercule's brow furrowed as his eyes scanned the boy before him. The teenager had certainly done his best to leave a proper impression, judging by the work he had done on his appearance. He was wearing a stylish yet casual tuxedo and his normally messy black hair had been combed back as much as possible. A red tie around the teen's neck seemed to round off the picture perfectly.

''Ah, I assume that you're Gohan," Hercule said, stating the obvious. ''So I hear that you want to take my daughter out on a date.''

Gohan gave a chuckle. He already knew how much of a bother Hercule could be when it came down to the way Videl tried to live her life so it was no surprise to see the suspicion in the man's eyes. Luckily Gohan had grown up with a strict mother so he knew how to work people like this.

"Yes, that is correct," Gohan replied without losing the polite edge to his voice. "I'm here to pick Videl up so I can take her out to dinner. Would you mind letting her know that I'm here?''

''No need for you to do that," Gohan heard Videl's voice coming from inside the gigantic house. ''I'm already here.''

Videl stepped away from behind her father and came into Gohan''s view. The boy could feel the air being sucked from his lungs when he saw the breathtaking sight before him.

Even though Videl had done little about her appearance, she still seemed beyond beautiful to Gohan. The usual white shirt and black shorts had been replaced by a pair of comfortable blue jeans adorned by a simple grey top. Her hair had draped upon her shoulders loosely instead of being tied down in the usual pigtails, adding a sense of grace to the girl's appearance. Gohan was momentarily at loss for words before he managed to pull himself together and speak up.

"You look absolutely stunning," Gohan complemented. ''And just when I thought that you couldn't become any more beautiful.'' The demi-Saiyan felt a blush creeping over his cheeks when he saw Videl's face turn to a deep shade of red.

After a momentary silence between the three Videl was the first one to speak up.

''So, are you ready to go?''' she queried, immediately followed by deadly glare aimed at her father, who was about to speak up in protest.

"Whenever you are," Gohan replied as he offered Videl his arm. The raven-haired girl hooked her arm in his and the two walked away from the mansion, leaving Hercule with a baffled expression on his face.

* * *

Gohan pulled back one of the two chairs by the table and gestured for Videl to sit down. His mother had always taught him that chivalry was something rare these days and that a woman should be happy to meet a man who knew how to properly behave in public and how to treat a woman with care. Videl gave a giggle in amusement as she took the offered seat and watched Gohan take place in the one across her.

The restaurant that Gohan had picked out seemed just perfect for the occasion, nothing too fancy yet also with a sense of class. This night the establishment seemed pretty peaceful, as not too many people had decided to choose it as their place to eat for the night. Several paintings decorated the flower-printed walls and candles had been placed on each and every table, the small flickering of the flames creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.

Gohan and Videl had been so busy making small talk that they hadn't noticed the woman that had come up to their table. The woman was relatively short and she was dressed in the restaurant's uniform. Her brown hair had been tied back in a knot, most likely in agreement with the restaurant policy, and she was holding a notepad and a pen to take the two teenagers' orders down. The nametag on her chest read ''Kita.''

Kita cleared her throat, effectively grasping the attention of the two teenagers. She played the two a warm smile as they turned to her and she pressed the end of her pen, ready to take their orders down.

''Hello, my name is Kita and I'll be your waitress for the night,'' the woman said, greeting Gohan and Videl with a small bow. "Can I take your order?''

''Yes, I will have..." Gohan replied as he eyed the menu card, ''the soup as the appetizer, a double steak menu for the main course and the chocolate pudding for dessert, please.''

Kita jotted down Gohan's order on her notepad and then turned to the girl in his company.

''And you dear,'' the woman queried. ''What would you like to order?''

''I'll have what he's having,'' Videl answered, not feeling like taking the effort to read the entire menu first.

Kita scribbled on her notepad some more and then tucked her pen away in the pocket on her chest.

''Is there anything else that I can do for the two of you?"

As if on cue, the sound of a shutter going off was heard and a flash momentarily illuminated half of the restaurant. The three at the table turned their heads towards the source, only to see a big flock of reporters standing by the window, cameras up high, ready to take a snapshot of Videl Satan out on a date.

The girl they were looking for hissed in annoyance. Couldn't these stupid reporters just leave her alone for a few minutes? Why did they always have to go and document every little thing she did? She felt like a criminal being shadowed by the police.

"I suppose that you can't do anything about that bunch over there?'' Videl turned to Kita, gesturing towards the reporters.

''Well,'' Kita pondered. ''We can always have the curtains closed, but I assume that that wouldn't really help with pesky reporters like them, won't it?''

Videl didn't even have to answer that as the main entrance to the restaurant was nearly slammed out of its hinges, dozens of reporters flowing inside. Several of them were holding either cameras, microphones or just plain notepads as they ran towards the most glorified young woman in the world, yelling stuff in the likes of "Miss Videl, could I have a word, please?'' and ''Who is this young man with you, miss Videl?"

Kita's expression turned to one of thunder as she saw the reporters hassle the teenage couple. How dare they ruin something that was supposed to be a perfectly nice night out for a boy and a girl like that? They were obviously hitting it off and those stupid gossip-hungry tabloid freaks were going to squander it all! But not it it was up to her! Surem the woman loved a good story or two; she had nearly fainted when she had heard that the Bulma Briefs had married, but this was just overstepping the line

''Hey!'' the now angry waitress yelled, managing to turn every head in the crowd of reporters. ''What the hell do you think you're doing? Harassing two teenagers on a date, don't you people have any manners?''

A few of the reporters took a small step back, obviously frightened of the raging woman. But the promise of a steady paycheck in return for a juicy photo of Videl Satan with a boy managed to keep the group anchored in place.

A vein in Kita's temple popped. That was it! If the reporters wouldn't go away after a warning like that she would have to get to some serious business. Grabbing a broom from a nearby colleague she ran towards the press, giving an angry shout as she stormed over.

Gohan and Videl sweatdropped as they watched Kita chase every single reporter out of the restaurant with the broom. The woman certainly seemed to value privacy.

* * *

Where time didn't seem to move forward at all at the beginning of the evening, the minutes almost flew by now. Before Videl had even realized it, she was absentmindedly poking her fork in a potato as she listened to Gohan pat himself on the back over his grade average. As she saw Kita arrive with the ordered chocolate pudding she felt somewhat disappointed that her date with Gohan was coming to its end, but she realised that the boy across her was supposed to tell her about himself after they had had dinner. Listening to Gohan's story certainly wasn't going to be all about sunshine and rainbows, but the mere thought of being able to spend some more time with him made Videl feel joyful to her very core.

As the big plate with pudding was placed in front of her, Videl grabbed her spoon and poked it around in her dessert. Gohan was still busy summing up all the subjects he apparently excelled in and Videl felt no need to interrupt him.

The two teenagers ate their pudding and the topic of conversation slowly shifted from Gohan doing all the talking to him interviewing Videl about her personal life.

"So you have to deal with reporters like that every day, huh?" the boy questioned as he stuffed his face with another spoonful of pudding.

"Yeah," Videl replied as she copied Gohan's actions. "I want to say that you get used to it, but I would be lying. I can barely open my eyes in the morning without staring directly into some gigantic lense or microphone." The girl gave an annoyed groan at the thought of it. It was true, the sea of reporters from earlier certainly hadn't been an exception. Videl considered hiring Kita as her new bodyguard, seeing how well of a job she had done with chasing away the members of the press.

"But what about you?" Videl asked, arching an eyebrow. "You already know so much about me. Not that that's hard or anything, seeing how much I have that tabloids following me around, but I still have no clue about who Gohan is. I'm sure that you have to deal with annoying parents or at least something in the likes, don't you?"

Instead of getting a reply like she expected the Satan girl was surprised to see Gohan turn his gaze away. Apparently that question stung him somewhere. This caused Videl to realize that this hadn't been the first time that Gohan had avoided that subject. Back when the two of them were enjoying their first lunch together Videl had questioned Gohan about his father and the boy had responded in almost the exact same way. Feeling a sudden wave of compassion the girl reached out and took one of Gohan's big hands in her own, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. Her cerulean eyes looked at the demi-Saiyan with nothing but genuine compassion as she spoke.

"Gohan, I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything," Videl said, sincerity clear in her voice. "Really, if there is anything bothering you, just tell me."

Gohan looked up and his onyx eyes met those of Videl. She could see that glint of sadness that she had seen the very first time she had stared into those dark gems of his, but this time it was a lot more vivid than before. Her worry was taken away however when Gohan played her a warm and grateful smile.

The few guests that were dining in the restaurants turned their attention to the middle of the establishment, where a giant piano had been placed. A man wearing a suit adorned by a tie with the restaurant's logo on it took place and exhaled deeply before placing his fingers on the keys. Seconds later classical music filled the restaurant, perfectly matching the mellow and slightly grim atmosphere that the restaurant.

Gohan gave a chuckle. "The music couldn't have come at a better time, huh?" he laughed, causing Videl to laugh along with him. "I know that I can confide in you, that I can trust you Videl, I swear. But that is something that I was going to tell you after we leave this restaurant. I prefer to tell you everything all at once, instead of having to let you piece all the fragments of the puzzle together."

The teenager glanced at his watch and found himself surprised by how fast time was moving along.

"Speaking of which," Gohan spoke up. "It's starting to get pretty damn late. How about you and I leave this place so that we can talk somewhere a little more private?"

As Gohan walked over to the wardrobe to fetch the duo's coats Videl suddenly felt her anxiety grow. Not too long from now she would finally know who the somewhat nerdy boy she met at the library really was, what really made his gears grind. Honestly the girl had no idea what to expect, all she knew was that it probably had something to do with his father.

Seconds later Gohan reappeared from the wardrobe holding both of their coats. The crimefighter quickly put on her jacket and couldn't help but blush a little when she noticed that her date had already offered her his arm, to which she gladly obliged. The boy truly was a gentleman.

The two teenagers had barely left the restaurant or they were already swerving the sidewalk in a fit of giggles. A long walk through Satan City followed in which they passed dozens of restaurants, gift shops and other highlights that had caused the city to achieve its multicultural image. After over half an hour of walking Gohan had finally found their final stop, gesturing towards the main entrance of Satan City Park. As the couple walked over to the grassy fields Videl couldn't help but question Gohan's reasons to pick out that very spot.

''So why are we going here?'' the raven-haired girl asked, looking up at the boy who still had his arm hooked in hers.

''Because it reminds me of home,'' Gohan replied looking blankly ahead. "I have always lived surrounded by nature and this park can at least provide a similar feeling. Being in the great outdoors allows me to clear my head and think properly.''

After that the girl didn't bother to ask any other questions and she followed Gohan as he chose a spot in the middle of a grassy field. The soft and loamy grass felt comfortable as the two teenagers sat themselves down.

''Would you mind giving me a minute?'' Gohan queried as soon as he had sat himself down on the leaves of green. ''I need a little while to think of how I'm going to tell you all of this.''

"Not at all, go right ahead,'' Videl answered with an affirming smile. An almost deafening silence fell between the two as the Saiyan teen tried to collect his thoughts. A cool breeze blew through the park, leaving only the rustling of the leaves in the trees to break the otherwise dead silence. The young woman felt slightly uncomfortable with all the quiet surrounding her, causing her to absentmindedly start plucking leaves of grass from their soil, only to release them in the late summer winds. As her cerulean eyes followed the green blades go wherever the wind took them, she noticed a few gray clouds forming above her. It was simply creepy how much they seemed to fit the slightly depressing atmosphere.

After what seemed like an eternity Gohan cleared his throat, causing Videl to rip her stare loose from the big puffs of condensation in the sky. The boy didn't look at her as he started to speak.

''I still find it hard to find a start to this story so I might as well just start from the very beginning,'' the Son boy began. ''I was born as Son Gohan, child to the Ox Princess Son Chi-Chi and the previous World Champion of Martial Arts, Son Goku.''

Videl's eyes widened in surprise. ''You're Goku's son? That certainly would explain why you said you could kick Sharpener's ass if you wanted to. I guess that fighting is in your blood as well as mine.''

Gohan nodded in affirmation. ''Indeed, for as long as I can remember fighting has been a part of my life and it still is. But since everybody saw my father as some great hero, just like the whole world seems to view your dad, I have always been in his shadow. I was never really Son Gohan, I was always Goku's son, a kid with potential but too frightened to swing a decent punch.''

The boy's nose scrunched at the remark. True, his father's friends had always compared him to Goku in every possible way, never taking into account that Gohan actually had a life of his own.

''But that really wasn't the issue,'' the spiky-haired teen continued his tale. ''I always loved my father and fighting hasn't always been a priority in my life. My mother wanted me to become a scholar and decided that I should be able to read before I was able to walk, and frankly I didn't mind. I liked to study and become more knowledgeable. By the time I was five I was already as smart as half of Satan City University .''

Videl looked at Gohan is disbelief. Why would a mother force her children to study that much? Sure it certainly had been worth the effort, but that was just total madness!

The big packs of clouds started to knit together closer, sometimes concealing the moon from the eyes and leaving Satan Park in an eerie darkness.

''Then one day I was visiting some family friends with my dad,'' the demi-Saiyan told. ''A strange man showed up, claiming that he was my uncle and that my father was unfit to take care of me. He decided to force his right by taking me with him. I can't really recall what happened after that, but I do know that I had one of the biggest rages ever and I ended up hurting my so called 'uncle' pretty badly.''

The teenager sighed. This was one of the moments in the story that he had to keep a secret form Videl. The girl would probably run for it if he told her that Raditz was actually an alien and that he himself was also a hybrid human. Also it would be a pretty hard pill to swallow if she knew that his dad had actually died that day and he, Krillin and Bulma had gone to a different planet to gather the Dragonballs and wish him back.

''I think that I was about four years old at the time,'' Gohan recalled, managing to brush off the entire incident with a smile. "And about a year later things really started going wrong. Me, my father and two friends had to fight for our lives when I was just a little five year old tyke. Believe it or not, but I managed to stand my ground.''

Videl's mouth fell ajaw. How on earth would a little five year old boy be forced to fight over life and death? None if it made sense to her.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" the petite crimefighter interrupted. "What made you to fight like that when you were so young?''

Gohan chuckled a bit. "Well, let's just say that there are forms of martial arts that have been buried away deeply and are used by only a certain group of people. I guess that we can thank your father for that.''

"You don't mean...'' Videl spoke as her mind slowly processed the words, "those things that my dad refers to as light 'tricks', do you?''

Gohan started laughing at this point. "Oh, poor Videl,'' he giggled. ''That is actually a story for a different night, but let me just say 'yes' to that for now.''

The girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. According to the mysterious boy in front of her everything that she had been told about Martial Arts until now was a complete and utter lie. She wanted to protest and interview Gohan about it, but then she realized that he was telling her his life story. Questions like these could wait, for now.

"Okay,'' Videl agreed. ''I'll let it rest for tonight, but don't think that I'm done with this yet. One day you will tell me all about those fighting moves of yours.''

''Okay, okay agreed, just don't shoot!" Gohan joked laughingly. "Now where was I...''

The onyx-eyed teen was silent for a second or two.

'' Oh yeah, I remember. Like I said, me and dad were trapped in a life-threatening situation and we had to fight for our lives to see another day dawn. Thank god we made it, but not without cost.''

Gohan fell silent again as one of the reels stored in the cinema called his mind started replaying again. For a few moments all he could see was Frieza, a devilish grin smeared on the space tyrant's face as he murdered Krillin, blowing up the bald monk into millions of smithereens. Luckily he managed to shake off that thought rather quickly, but the depressing feeling that came with it continued to weigh down on the teen's chest down like a block of concrete.

''My father's best friend was killed during the final fight,'' Gohan sighed, using the grass below him as an excuse to not look Videl in the eye. He didn't want to girl to see the hurt in his eyes as he spoke of the traumatizing event.

''I can still remember it, clear as day,'' the Saiyan continued, his voice growing slightly shakier as he retold the tale that he had told Sierra on more than one occasion. ''I can remember the pure fear in the man's eyes as he knew that his final moments in life had arrived and I can still remember the aftermath WAY to fondly. For as far as I can recall, there was nothing but blood cascading down on the ground, staining everything. It was horrible and at the time all I could do was hope that I would never in my life see something like that again.''

Videl simply had no reply to that. She had no idea how to respond to the story of a boy who had seen more death and bloodshed before his sixth birthday than some army veterans in their entire lifetime. She was really starting to understand why Gohan had to take antidepressants; seeing something so scary and intense leaves marks someone.

The wind started to grow more aggressive, the sound of the tree branches dancing with the currents growing louder. Videl had to hold her pigtails down to prevent them from flying as the wind started to tousle her raven locks.

''After that I managed to get about one peaceful year in,'' Gohan said. ''Sure, the nightmares were bothersome. Every time I closed my eyes all I could see was a rain of blood obscuring my view, but for as far as the rest was concerned life was peaceful.''

The black-haired teen shifted in the grass a bit before continuing.

"Then one day some mysterious boy came along and told everybody I knew that a big threat was on the way and that we had three years to prepare for it. After a while of trying, me and my dad finally managed to talk my mom into letting me train. The three years that followed were the ones in which I barely had my face in the books and was always training to get stronger. And I did. I managed to find strength within myself that I thought was about impossible to achieve, yet I did.''

Gohan needed a minute to recollect his thoughts. This was about the point in the story were all the misery started. He could feel a lump in his throat starting to form at the idea of having to relive those moments again.

''After that a chain of bizarrities led to us having to compete in the most memorable thing in human history: The Cell Games.''

Videl gasped. Apparently the shy and nerdy boy that she had met several weeks ago had something to do with that oversized grasshopper, Cell. Several questions that the girl wanted to ask him popped up in her mind, but then she remembered the promise that she had made. Those questions just had to wait for another time.

"Me and my dad had gotten even stronger in the meantime and I was certain that my father would be the one to save the day, like he always did.'' Gohan's breath faltered slightly. "But instead it was the other way around.''

The boy's body began to quake slightly as the horrible memories started replaying in his head once again. For the billionth time he saw his father walking towards Cell with that confident smile of his. And once again he heard his father utter his final words before disappearing out of sight, leaving Gohan to wallow in his own sadness.

"My dad wasn't able to defeat Cell,'' Gohan continued, his voice growing shakier along with his body. "He had to give his life in order for me to go on with mine. He sacrificed himself for my good and the good of the people of earth.''

A single tear welled up in the corner of the hybrid's eye. Videl payed no attention to it as she wanted Gohan to finish his story first. The teenager across from her was obviously having the hardest of times reliving all of those past events, and by the tone of it he wasn't through telling yet.

"It took me a very long time to come to term with my father's death,'' Gohan told, barely able to suppress a sob from escaping. ''My mother thought that studying would be a good way to keep my mind off of things, but I refused to. I was devastated. At times I wouldn't be able to sleep due to the nightmares, so I would sneak out of the house and have some time to myself. I felt like all that I could do was train in an attempt to clear my head. Every now and then I would have a spar with one of my father's friends and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to beat him to a bloody pulp. I felt like that was the only way that I could vent myself a bit. But most of the time I would take my leave to the mountains and simply punch and kick away at everything that came into my path. I'd punch into a mountain wall over and over again, up to the point where my skin would burst on contact and the hard stone would be covered in red smudges of blood. The pain managed to distract my mind temporarily, but the next night it would just as easily be the same as the one before.''

This time the teen wasn't able to prevent a sob from leaving his lips, but he still managed to hold himself together nicely.

''At first I thought there was no way that I would ever get out of the misery that I was in. Nothing but darkness and pain clouded my mind and heart and I was losing the will to live more and more as time pressed on. But then, nine months after my father passed away something miraculous happened. My mother gave birth to my little brother Goten.''

Videl could recall that during their first lunch Gohan had mentioned his little brother's name and therefore she was surprised to see the look of agony on Gohan''s face as he uttered the name.

''For the first time in a very long time I finally felt genuinely happy,'' Gohan explained. ''Taking care of Goten gave me a feeling of rewarding and managed to let me see the brighter side of life for a change. Finally I didn't have to worry whether I would be able to sleep at night or if I would have to spend the night punching rubble somewhere. For three years I was able to live a happy and satisfied life with my family. But then my mother got sick.''

More tears started flowing and the teenager's body started quaking more heavily. Another sob escaped him, causing him to interrupt his story momentarily.

All the while Videl was speechless. No wonder the kid was so messed up. Wanting to do her best to comfort him she scooted over to him and rested her hand on his back.

"And then what happened?" she asked, encouraging him to continue his story.

A small whimper could be heard before Gohan was able to continue.

''It didn't take long for my mother's situation to worsen. She was bedbound really quickly, leaving me responsible for everything that had to be done. I did all the work around the house and took care of both Goten and my mother, day in and day out. I managed to keep up a facade of happiness, but inside i was more miserable than I had ever been. During that time I started to see a shrink who prescribed me the Prozac that you found. And after several weeks of fighting her illness my mother passed away, leaving me and my brother as orphans.''

Videl never could´ve fathomed that it was this bad. As the boy by her side started to cry for real she slowly rubbed her hand up and down his back in an attempt to sooth him.

''My depression obviously worsened after that,'' Gohan continued. ''I thought that I never would be able to smile after that. Sure, the last year or so things have been going better but before that I was the epitome of an emotional wreck. T-t-they... they...''

The crying turned into downright bawling and Gohan saw no other alternative than to use Videl as a shoulder to cry on. the girl let the boy let his tears run free, having him stain her shirt with the salty liquid.

The grey clouds had finally reached their limits and burst open, letting thousands of raindrops cascade down to the surface of the earth. Within seconds the duo was soaked to the final thread, their hair sticking to their foreheads, but neither of them seemed to care. All they were aware of was each other's company.

''It's okay, Gohan,'' Videl assured him as rocked the crying boy from side to side. ''You can tell me, what did they do?''

Gohan's voice was barely a whisper as he answered, his voice clouded by the sound of his sobs and whimpers.

''They took Goten away from me. They deemed me unfit as his guardian and they took him away from me..''

Gohan buried his face in Videl's shirt, somewhat muffling the demi-Saiyan's pained cries. Videl had no idea what to do, so she decided to just let instinct guide her.

''Oh, Gohan, I'm so sorry for you,'' she said in the purest of sincerity. ''Just tell me if there is anything that I can do for you.''

This caused Gohan to look up, enabling Videl to look him in his eyes for the first time since he started his story. The teen's eyes were red and puffy from his emotional outburst and his onyx irises seemed to overflow with sadness.

"J-j-just stay here with me for a little while,'' Gohan replied. ''I just need somebody to stay with me for now and nothing would make me happier for that to be you.''

A blush creeped over Videl's cold and wet cheeks. She gave Gohan a reassuring smile and lifted his chin up a bit so she could look him in his eyes properly.

''Anything for you, Gohan.''

Their eye contact seemed to last for over an eternity, Gohan lost in Videl's pools of blue and Videl adrift in Gohan's onyx gems. And it was then that Gohan reached out his hand and very gently wiped a strand of wet hair from Videl's face before softly cupping her chin. The two teenagers didn't break eye contact as Gohan slowly but surely moved his head in closer. Their breathing in sync and their heartbeats going ballistic their noses nearly touched as they brought their faces together. Videl could feel Gohan's warm breath on her lips and felt intoxicated by his scent as her face as less than an inch away of his. Then finally Gohan closed his eyes and closed the gap between them, pressing his cold lips against Videl's pinkish and rosy ones.

Time seemed to stand still as the two teenagers shared the kiss, but savoring the moment for as long as possible. When Gohan finally pulled his head back he couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

''Sorry,'' he apologized. ''It wasn't my intention to saddle you up with an emotionally damaged boyfriend. If you don't want to see me anymore I can understand.''

Instead of protesting Videl chuckled in return before pulling Gohan in for another kiss, this one even more enjoyable than the first. As their lips parted Videl smirked at the boy across her.

''Don't you dare apologize,'' she laughed. ''I don't consider you damaged, I consider you a challenge.''


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello people! I know I haven't updated in a little while and for that I am sincerely sorry. But anyways, chapter 7. Woot! This chpter is a lot lighter and A little less in sync with the rest of th story, but if you decide to hate me for that you can do me a favor and go fuck yourself. **

**This chapter contains a whopping 4 cameos O.o**

**Now please read, review and Enjoy!**

* * *

The only sounds that could be heard throughout the library were the flipping of pages and the librarian putting away books in a distant corner. The familiar smell of old and dusty books hung in the air and the area of the library especially designed for the youth was entirely empty aside from two teenagers.

Gohan and Videl were lying on a big bean bag, Videl resting her head against her newfound boyfriend's broad chest. She sighed in content as she snuggled against his pecs a bit more and listened to the boy read to her. The cover of the book in his hand read 'The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'. It was the story about the self-proclaimed knight and his epic adventures. Children would usually hear the part where Don fight windmills, his mind playing tricks on his and telling him that they were giants. What Gohan was reading was the version for adults, the vocabulary far too challenging for a child, but that didn't discourage Gohan from attempting to mimic juvenile voices during dialogue.

"...The end!" Gohan chirped with childlike happiness after turning over the last page to the book. Videl gave a giggle and raised her head to look at the onyx-eyed teen, their gazes meeting each other halfway.

"You really should do this for a living," the girl giggled as she took the book from his hands and threw it away to the side. "It'd be really fun for the demented elderly to hear the latest childhood gossip with squeaky and happy voices."

This caused the other teenager to laugh and lock his girlfriend in an embrace. The two of them had been going through life as a couple for the past six days now and the young Saiyan had to admit to himself that thing were going pretty great. Their relationship felt as if it had been there forever and the two dark-haired fighters both couldn't deny the enormous chemistry between them. Having Videl as his significant other had really shone a bright light on Gohan's life and, for the first time in years, he actually had a positive outlook on life again.

The girl crawled up on his chest so they could meet face to face. A grin formed on Videl's face as she nearly lunged forward to meet lips with her boyfriend. As a kiss was shared, she drifted off in thought. There were no words to describe how good it felt to be able to kiss Gohan like that. For most of her life she had fooled herself, claiming that she didn't need a boy in her life, that she was strong enough on her own. But then she met this sweet, caring, and not to forget slightly mentally disturbed teenager; it had turned her life upside down. The boy she met at the library completely ruled her thought, now matter how much she denied her feelings. She wanted to praise the heavens that she had been proven wrong, otherwise she would've never been in this very position right now.

The two lovebirds completely forgot about their surroundings due to their shared ecstasy and the silence in the library. Little did they know that the staff was still present.

"Awww, you guys look really sweet together," said a thick French accent which reached the ears of the duo, "but I have to ask you to take your leave now; the library is closing for today."

Both teens drew back from the kiss and looked up to the source of the voice. Isa was standing several feet away with a set of books clutched under her arm. A warm smile curled the corner of her lips. It did her heart good to see two teenagers so infatuated with each other. The couple before her seemed like a perfect fit in her opinion. The woman had heard bits and pieces of what had been going on between the two and she couldn't help but make the mental link to her somewhat smutty romance novels. Just the sight of the two made her heart weak and soft, just like the misadventures of Dr. G. Spot always did.

"I'm sincerely sorry," Isa said with a readjustment of her glasses, "but you really have to leave now, otherwise my boss will kill me."

Gohan and Videl both nodded in agreement. They clumsily managed to get out of the beanbag and quickly pulled their coats on. Bidding Isa a polite goodbye, the two made their way out of the library. As they walked over to Videl's house at a peaceful pace, conversation sparked between the couple.

"So..." Videl started, biting her lower lip in hesitation. She wasn't entirely sure whether it would be a good idea to remind the boy of such a tough time in his life. But eventually curiosity got a hold of her. "...What treatments have they tried for you during the past four years?"

Gohan shot her a look of understanding. Of course the expression of doubt on the girl's face hadn't gone unnoticed either. He could understand why she would hesitate though, seeing how much trouble it had been to tell her about his past. But now that the demi-Saiyan knew that he could confide all of his troubles in the cerulean-eyed girl he didn't mind sharing a bit more at all.

Reaching his arm around her waist Gohan pulled Videl in closer, their pace slowing down as well.

"Well, let's see..." The boy shot a look up at the sky in deep thought. "Nothing much really. Pretty much all I had to do was swallow the Prozac every day and have my routine talk with Sierra. Oh, although I have been institutionalized for a little while."

Videl looked up at the other teenager and arched a brow. "In what kind of institute would they put someone like you?" she questioned with a laugh. "You are way too sweet to be imprisoned and I don't think that you are crazy enough to be tossed into the loony bin."

Gohan gave a chuckle. "I think you still don't know of about half the crazy inside of me," the Saiyan teen laughed. "And it was just a regular institution for teenagers who all have some deep mental issues. Fun part is that those houses had people of all sorts jumbled up. We were all crazy in our own unique way."

Videl couldn't help but giggle, she hadn't even thought of it in that way.

"And how did that work," she queried as she looked up at her boyfriend. "Were you just thrown into some house with random nutcases?"

Gohan laughed in reply. "Yeah, basically. For about a year I was living in a house with three other boys of about my age. All four of us had more than enough crap to deal with at the time and given that we were able to confide in each other. I was really disappointed when they told me I was to leave the house, even though I would be returning to my family home. Those guys became really close friends of mine and I haven't seen them since I left."

A sad look crossed the demi-Saiyan's face. Yes, sadly he hadn't seen the guys from West City Youth Mental Institution for over a year. He supposed that due to the bad circumstances for troubled youth over the past few years that it wouldn't be a surprise if they still lived there.

That managed to make the teen smile a little. It had never really occurred to him that he could always swing by for a visit. Turning to his girlfriend his smile grew wider.

"What are you grinning at?" Videl giggled. "Some cheesy pun that you heard lately or something?"

The boy shook his head. "Would you happen to have any plans for tomorrow?" he queried as the duo halted in front of the large Satan mansion.

The girl shrugged her head. "Not that I know of, why?"

"Then you're coming with me to meet my old buddies from the institution tomorrow afternoon."

* * *

The couple was slowly strolling through the outskirts of West City, their hands interlaced as they were on their way to Gohan's ''madhouse''. The trip over certainly hadn't been a breeze for the duo since the paparazzi followed the two of them around constantly. Of course their date had been the headline of many gossip magazines the following day and soon after the entire world was hungry for more news about Videl and the to the crowd completely unknown boy. Frankly the girl didn't give a damn whether or not the press would see her in the presence of her new boyfriend, but being seen entering a mental institution would do her image just a little too much damage in her opinion. After having avoided a flock of photographers by diving into some bushes the teenagers were now finally able to enjoy their walk in peace.

"So what are these guys like?" the girl queried as their destination came into sight. The institution consisted of a big group of houses the size of a small mansion. All of the residences had been fenced off by gates of heavy steel and Videl assumed that the barbed wire on top of the fences weren't there for decoration.

Gohan only smirked. "I think it's best to just wait and see," the demi-Saiyan replied. "All I can say is that they're awesome to me."

After being let in by the guards Videl quickly noticed how all the houses were told apart; each front door had a different color. Her boyfriend pointed at a house with a bright yellow main entrance and the couple quickly made their way over.

Gohan couldn't help but feel anxious as he knocked on the yellow piece of wood. He hadn't seen the boys from his group in over a year now and the teenagers wondered how much his friends had changed over time. Did they still see him as their buddy or had they already forgotten about his existence already?

After about a minute of no reply the boy reached out for the doorknob. He turned the thing and a soft click was heard as the door opened.

"Hmh, it's unlocked," Gohan said in surprise. A wide grin soon crept over his face. "Just as always..."

He gestured for Videl to step inside and quickly followed her in, letting the door fall into its lock as he entered. As his eyes scanned the hallway a warm feeling nostalgia took a hold of Gohan. Absolutely nothing had changed since he had left the institution. The coat rack directly to his left hadn't changed location and the spiraling stairs at the end of the hall still led to the bedrooms on the floor above.

"Anybody there?" the Saiyan let his voice boom throughout the house. A stirring noise could be heard coming from the living room and seconds later the door that connected the two parts of the building swung open.

A boy Videl had never seen before in her life was standing just outside the doorway. At first a look of question resided on the teenager's face, which quickly turned into a deep frown. HIs angry stare intensified as he slipped his hand into the pocket of his grey sweater vest.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He hissed through gritted teeth. "ANSWER ME!" he then continued to scream. The stranger took his hand back out of his pocket to reveal a huge and deadly sharp switchblade. The boy flicked the stainless steel blade out and Videl could swear she saw a shimmer of her own reflection as the teenager in front of her held the knife up high.

"Get out of my house!" the boy shouted as his legs came into motion. Videl quickly jumped up with her fists in front of her face, ready to take her assailant out with a simple and quick punch. She was thrown off guard when Gohan stepped out in front of her and held up his hand, telling her that he would handle it.

Everything happened so quickly that the girl was bare able to follow the occurrence. In a few seconds the teen swinging his weaponry around had reached the two dark-haired martial artists. Swinging his knife the boy lunged at Gohan, only to be quickly swept off his feet by the quick and able-bodied demi-Saiyan. The obviously stronger one of the two pinned the other in place in less than half a second, grinning widely at Videl as the danger had passed.

For several seconds the boy continued to struggle to get free. As soon as he concluded that there was no way he was going to win that battle he started to laugh. The Satan girl couldn't be more confused, quizzically raising an eyebrow as she listened to the amused chuckles.

"Still as quick as always, I see," the teenager on the floor laughed. "You have been keeping up with your training, haven't you Gohan?"

"You know it!" Gohan chuckled in reply. "You haven't changed a bit, have you, Blue?"

The black-haired teen raised himself back up to his feet, thus allowing the boy apparently named Blue to move around as well. Now Videl was absolutely clueless as to what was going on, with her mouth ajaw she strangely resembled a gumball machine.

Both Gohan and Blue started laughing at the look of confusion on the girl's face. Being the good boyfriend that he was the Saiyan explained.

"This is Blue, one of the guys from the group," he told as the other boy came standing next to him, swinging an arm around Gohan's shoulder as a sign of friendship. "He loves messing around with however decides to come over. We've used this routine you just saw several times before and it has always worked its magic."

Slowly the information was processed in Videl's mind. After putting all the pieces of the puzzle together she sighed in relief. It had all just been a prank to scare the living hell out of her.

Now that all the tension had left the trio the crimefighter took her time to study Blue's appearance. The teenager was a few inches taller and had a posture similar to Gohan yet he still seemed stick thin as he stood next to his old housemate. His thick brown hair matched his brown eyes and apparently the boy hadn't really felt like dressing up today telling by his lazy-day sweater and sweatpants.

"And who is this lovely little lady that you brought with you?" Blue queried as his look fell on Videl. Gohan smirked as he wrapped an arm around the girl's waist and pulled her close to him.

"This 'lovely lady' is Videl," the demi-Saiyan replied as he grinned in the obvious satisfaction of having his old housemate clinging to his every word. "My girlfriend."  
Blue gave the other young man a look of pure astonishment. The brown-haired teen had only known the Son boy as a bit of an introvert kid that never really seemed that interested in kids his own age. Sure, Gohan had opened up a lot more after a few months of living in the West City Youth Mental Institution, but still Blue had never really taken into account that Gohan was, in fact, a boy, perfectly capable of finding himself a significant other.

"Wow..." Blue exclaimed, fiddling the large switchblade in as hands as if it were out of habit. "I can barely believe it, our little Gohan has actually gone and found himself a girlfriend, I'm so proud!"

Videl found it hard not to burst out in laughter. After getting over the initial rush of having her boyfriend's old friend swinging a deadly sharp knife at her she quickly felt relaxed and at ease. She could certainly see why Gohan had become such close friends with the likes of Blue, even if the kid had a bit of a whacked sense of humor. Glancing at the knife she couldn't help but wonder what he had done to get himself locked up in a place like this.

Turning to one of his old best friends Gohan nudged his head at his girlfriend.

"By now she knows of most of the crazy in me," he spoke, cracking an amused grin. "But she's kind of the curious type and I'm pretty sure that it'll drive her crazy if she doesn't know why you and the other guys are here. Mind telling her a bit about yourself?"

The other teen rolled his eyes. "Sure," he replied as he leaned against the wall with his back.

"Well, the reason as to why I'm here is pretty simple. I was born nineteen years ago and from the moment that i first saw the light of day my parents decided to dislike me. While I grew up I was constantly treated like shit and every now and then my father decided to whack me up and down the house. But about three years ago I decided that it had been more than enough. One day my father was at it again and I just didn't feel like taking another beating anymore."

A brief silence fell a the boy eyed the switchblade in the palm of his hand.

"So I took this little baby," Blue continued as he rolled around the knife in between his fingers. "And I wedged the damn thing into his spine. I did it without even hesitating and to this day i still don't regret it. Seeing that asshole rolling into the courthouse in a wheelchair was one of the greatest satisfactions that I've ever felt. I've never been prone to violence even once, but I couldn't be happier than on that very moment."

Videl didn't dare speak as the brown-haired boy retold one of the darkest days in his lifetime. She was, however, surprised to see his somewhat sad expression turn to one of amusement in the blink of an eye.

"Of course I was certain that hey were going to put me behind bars," he told as his grin grew wider. "But apparently my 'troubled past' was in the way and they decided to put me in here.'' Blue finished off his story. "But enough about me, how about the two of you follow me to the living room, the other guys must be dying to see you again."

"Let's do it!" Gohan cheered, happy at the thought of seeing his other friends again. Blue led the way and walked down the hall. He took a door on the left and the couple quickly followed him into the living room.

Just like the hallway the living room hadn't changed one bit in Gohan's memory. Just like he remembered the grey carpet beneath his feet was as ugly as it had ever been and the furniture still looked as if it had been pieced together from random stores and flea markets. Frankly the demi-Saiyan wouldn't be surprised if they were.

Videl let her eyes travel across the room. After taking in just how hideous her boyfriend's old residence actually was she quickly noticed to two teenagers sitting on the leather couches. One of them was blankly staring at the small TV, a big bag of potato chips in his lap. The other was clearly much more interested in the music coming from his headphones. The girl could vaguely hear the sounds of a mellow and slick rap tune coming from the speakers.

"Hey girls!" Blue shouted, just loud enough to grasp the attention of both young men. "Guess who's back to pay us a visit?''

Both heads turned and within a split second both boys had a smile from ear to ear plastered on their faces. They simultaneously jumped off the couch and stormed Gohan head on. Videl simply watched with an amused smirk how her boyfriend was nearly crushed to death by his old buddies. After the ball of kicking limbs finally came to rest the three young man rose to their feet and locked each other in a warm and welcoming embrace

The shorter one of the two was the first to speak up. His stood at about the same height as Gohan and his short dark hair laid on his head in a messy fashion.

"Gohan, mate, great to see you!" he cheered happily. Videl didn't fail to notice the thick Australian accent that layered his voice. "It's been too long!"

The boy then turned to Videl and politely bowed in her direction. ''Pleased to meet you, my name is Kaka."

The raven-haired girl smiled at the boy she now knew as Kaka. "Nice to meet you as well, my name is Videl."

"We know, we know," The other teenager whose name was still unknown to Videl retorted. "" I had to see it too believe it. I already thought that it was Gohan I saw on the cover of the newspaper last week but now I know for certain. Just tell me, exactly how did our 'little Gohan' manage to wind the most famous girl in the whole world around his finger?"

Gohan chuckled as he wrapped his arm around Videl's waist. "A streak of luck I guess," he replied bashfully. "And nice to see you again as well, Edgar."

Edgar merely nodded in reply.

"So..." Videl said with the arch of a brow. "In what way are the two of you 'crazy'?"

Edgar and Kaka shot each other a glance and then burst into laughter.

"Nothing much really," Edgar explained. "I had always been kind of a disobedient little shit growing up. I never listened to my parents; I barely listened to any type of authority figure, really. Then one day I decided to go joyriding with good ol' Kaka over here." he said, pointing to his Australian friend.

"It was a truckload of fun," Kaka added to the story. "Until we crashed into a cop car on the highway. That was when things started going wrong. And yeah, even though we're locked up in here now I still believe that it was a great idea to use the voices in our heads as an excuse."

The two shared a look and gave a mutual chuckle when they noticed Videl's look of total astonishment.

''Gohan probably already told you, we're all crazy around here." Blue laughed. The youngster then turned to his old housemate. "Oh, by the way, they've put someone new in your old room. They said it was to ''fill the void''." he said, using his fingers to act out the quotation marks.

The demi-Saiyan couldn't help but be curious of the new stranger. "So, where is he now?''

Edgar scoffed. "He's probably upstairs on his laptop watching porn or something."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Laptop? I thought we weren't allowed to have one of those?" he queried as he tried to remember the old house rules.

"Normally, yeah," Kaka began explaining. "But when they tried to take the thing away from him they quickly found out that he'd turn into a raging beast without it, so they made him an exception."

Gohan couldn't help but laugh. if he knew that violence would've helped him get his way around here he certainly would've flexed his muscles some more during the time he lived there.

"Can you get him to come down?'' Gohan asked. "I wonder what kind of person they would sent here to fill in my spot."  
His three friends gave a mutual nod before shouting in perfect harmony.

"LANCE, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!"

* * *

**Cameos: **

**Blue, aka dr. Blue22, my very own TDS dad :D**  
**Kaka, aka Kakarot Son, author of the delightful Gh/Vi fic Come Fly With Me**  
**Edgar, aka Darkvoid116. He just put a new fic called Univerity Issues, make sure to read it. **  
**Lance, aka Lancecomewar. Pervert, that is all.**


	8. Chapter 8

_All the boy could do was watch in horror as the bald monk was sent flying into the sky with tremendous speed and was blown into a million smithereens. The laughter coming from the evil space tyrant several feet away from him circled his mind, driving him crazy. As he looked up at the sky it seemed that all he could see was blood cascading down on the landscapes. __A few drops of the thick red substance got onto his face and two droplets even fell into his mouth which was open wide in a soundless scream. The slightly rusty and lukewarm taste of the liquid made him feel sick to his stomach. Wiping the blood away from his face was to no avail, the sticky red substance clung onto his face like glue. __And the laughter... oh... the laughter. he wanted it to stop so badly, but pressing his palms against his ears wouldn't work. It was like there was no escaping this reality, now way to wake up from this dreaded terror..._

Gohan shot up in his bed, panting heavily. I took a second to process his surroundings but the teenager was relieved to know that it had all been just a dream. Nightmares like these had not been a rare occurrence with the demi-Saiyan the past few years. Every now and then he would wake up screaming in terror, only to realize that he was in his bed just seconds later. Making the mental link to his delusions Gohan quickly remembered that he hadn't told Videl about those yet. Thinking that she deserved to know he rolled back over and pulled the covers up t his chin. He would tell his girlfriend even more about his crazy depression tomorrow.

* * *

"Seriously?" Videl had to try her hardest to keep the volume of her voice at an acceptable level. The girl noticed Isa giving her a stare over the frame of her round glasses as the librarian was putting away books not too far to the side. She turned around to look her personal backrest and boyfriend in his eyes. \

"I know that a depression can snowball pretty badly, but... seriously?" Videl couldn't help but wave her arms around frantically to emphasize her disbelief. "Delusions?"

Gohan chuckled at the state of confusion his significant other was in. He already knew that his story was going to be hard to believe.

"Yes, Videl," he said as his arms snaked their way around her tiny waist. "It's actually possible to have delusions if your depression is severe enough. And just because I had a few of them doesn't mean that I'm tripping balls on a day to day basis. Every now and then my mind would play dirty games with me, having me see things that weren't really there. But I don't worry about that anymore now."

Videl arched a questioning brow. "And why would that be?"

A giggle escaped the demi-Saiyan as he leaned in closer, pressing a peck against the girl's cheek. He then brought his lips to her ear and whispered in a hush tone of voice, causing a slight shudder to go up and down Videl's spine.

"Because I have you now," he whispered, the girl growing a fierce shade of red over her cheeks. "And you make me the happiest anyone can ever be in this world. As long as I have you, I don't feel like I need to worry about having delusions; they're probably gone forever."

Hearing those words spoken made Videl feel weak to her knees. How was it that this mentally scarred teenage boy was able to make her face burn up like a radiator by simply complimenting her? Normally when someone applauded her skills, she would just let it feed her ego and continue with whatever she was doing, but whenever Gohan told her how pretty her smile was or how happy she made him, her insides went ballistic with the swarming of butterflies. Turning around in his lap Videl looked him in his brilliant onyx eyes and stared in them for a few seconds.

"You really need to stop the sweet talking," she laughed as she brought her face in closer to his. "You're making me feel all girly and giggly."

Gohan chuckled in reply. "And why is that such a bad thing?"

"Videl Satan does not giggle!" she said as she folded her arms in front of her chest, feigning anger.

"You are really pretty when you act like you're upset, do you know that?" her boyfriend teased, causing her to grow red all over again. Wanting to silence the Saiyan teen she brought her face forward to meet his lips in a kiss. Sharing a moment of pure ecstasy with Gohan, Videl forgot about her surroundings momentarily as she got lost in the passion. Gohan sneakily looked to the side from the corner of his eyes, happily noticing that Isa had left the part of the library they were in and that they had some privacy again.

Running one of his big hands through his girlfriend's raven hair he crushed his lips on hers a little more fiercely. Videl did the same and played with her soulmate's jet-black locks, pulling the boy deeper into the kiss. Feeling the sparks flying, Gohan decided to heat the exchange of saliva up a bit more.

He brushed his tongue against the raven-haired beauty's lower lip, begging her for entrance and to have her wet muscle dance and play with his. Videl happily obliged and gave a small moan of delight when her tongue started a fiery battle for dominance with the demi-Saiyan's.

Heat started to rise to tremendous heights as the two lovers got lost in each other, completely unaware that they were in a public building. Breaking the kiss for a momentary pause, mainly to breathe, the couple quickly lunged at each other again, their tongues ensuing their dance of joy as the taste of each other's lips drove the other wild.

The couple had never gone any further than French kissing before and both had noticed that the other was eager to try more. Gohan used this to his advantage as he tried to slip his hands under the Satan girl's shirt. When Videl noticed what he was trying to do she pulled back from the kiss and brought Gohan's hands back to where they came from, earning herself a small dissapointed pout.

"Not so fast there, hotshot," she giggled. "I know that you're eager to play up there but this isn't the time for that and certainly not the place."

The black-haired teen gulped a bit when he came back to the world of the living, realizing that they were in a public library and completely out in the open.

"Sorry," he apologized as he looked around to see if they had any unwanted spectators. "I didn't mean to rush you or anything."

"That's okay," Videl smiled. " I know that you wouldn't do anything against my wishes. And maybe, just maybe... I will not be wearing certain pieces of clothing tomorrow night!" she laughed, sending a playful wink to the boy. Of course he grew as red as a firetruck and Videl couldn't be more pleased. She somewhat saw it like payback for always making her blush the way he did.

"Speaking of which," Gohan said as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist again. "What time do you want me to pick you up?"

Videl tapped her index finger against her chin in thought. "I guess that seven o'clock would be alright..." she pondered. "But I think it's best for you to pick me up somewhere just outside my house. My dad wasn't pleased that I went with you anyway last time and I don't feel like confronting him another time."

"Fair enough," Gohan agreed. True, he could understand why Videl would refer to avoid a fight with her dad. Even though it was hard to take the man with the Hulk Hogan moustache and Ronald MacDonald afro seriously, Mr. Satan could still be easily as stubborn as his daughter.

In an attempt to surprise his girlfriend, Gohan has secretly peeked into her room and quickly discovered a Halestorm poster hanging above her bed. Concluding that it was her favorite band the teenager had bought tickets to the band's concert for the upcoming evening. After looking some of their songs up on the internet Gohan came to like the group himself too. And especially the lead singer Lzzy.

A faint beeping noise was heard and Videl quickly glanced at the watch around her wrist, only to groan out in annoyance.

"I'm past my curfew," she sighed. After having failed an important test her father had decided to put her on lockdown every Saturday night for the next month.

"Fine," Gohan rolled his eyes, wishing he would be able to spend a little more time with the spawn of Satan. "I'll walk you home."

* * *

Time almost flew by and before Videl knew it she was standing in front of the still empty stage. Thousands of fans had flocked together behind her, every single one of them waiting to see their favorite band go ballistic on their instruments and give the crowd one hell of a show. this was one of those rare moments that Videl actually enjoyed having such a famous last name, seeing that just the mere mention of it had earned her a spot in front of the gates to keep the rest of the concertgoers away from the stage. Now she and Gohan both had a gigantic space to themselves, free to move around without bumping into anyone.

Videl could barely hold herself together. When Gohan had surprised her with the tickets to the concert she was absolutely dying to go to she had nearly crushed him to death in hug. And now she was actually standing here, waiting for her favorite band to come out and play. Gohan simply loved seeing the girl so excited. He mentally patted himself on the back for being able to bring out such enthusiasm from her and as they stood there waiting, Videl slightly leaning against him and their hands interlaced in front of Videl's belly, he really felt like his happiness was finally complete.

The lights went off and the big concert hall became shrouded in a pitch-black darkness. As the entire crowd waited with breaths held the tapping of two drumsticks against each other was amplified over the gigantic speakers. A light in the middle of the stage went on, revealing a gorgeous woman dressed in leather and denim, her light brown hair lying gently on her shoulders and her painted red fingers curled around the neck of her guitar.

The audience breaks out in cheer as the woman starts picking at the strings to play the riff of the first song of the night. Videl shouted and cheered along with them as bright lights soon illuminated the stage to reveal the entire band. The crowd went ballistic at the sight and sound, every individual enjoying the load of rock 'n roll.

It was as if Videl had only blinked twice or the concert was already halfway through. At this point in time she had probably already screamed enough to be mute for the next two weeks, but she didn't care for that at all. With bright and anticipating eyes she watched how the lead singer grabbed a simply barstool and placed it in front of her microphone stand. A smile curled around her lips as the other guitarist copied her actions and sat himself down, supporting an acoustic guitar on his upper leg. The singer took the microphone from it's stand and the whole audience fell silent in anticipation of her words.

"Okay, we're going to slow things down a bit now," her voice boomed over the speakers. "This one goes out to all the lovebirds out there. Boys, grab on to your ladies and show them how a man slow dances. This one is called In Your Room."

The guitarist started playing some of the most amazing notes Videl had ever heard and the woman began to sing along, her voice chiming in beautiful harmony with the guitar. A tap on her shoulder made her rip her stare loose from the scene on the stage. When she turned around she saw Gohan, holding out a hand to her.

"Would you please do a fine young gentleman like myself a huge honor," the demi-Saiyan spoke politely. "And dance with me, beautiful young woman?"

Videl giggled at her boyfriend's goofiness and interlaced her fingers with his. The black-haired boy wasted no time pulling her in, her head resting against his firm chest and her slender fingers very softly clutching the fabric of his in her opinion unfairly thin shirt. Smiling widely as he snaked his arms around her midsection Gohan slowly took a step back, and then to the side.

The girl exhaled deeply as she felt the peace of the dance wash over her. Having Gohan's arms wrapped around her made her feel safe and secure. With her ear resting on his broad chest the rhythmical beating of his heart soothed her senses and she absolutely adored the slow and swaying motions of their dance. Gohan watched as Videl closed her eyes and let him guide her in their intimate shuffle.

Bringing one hand up the teenager brushed a hand through his girlfriend's silky raven locks and pressed a kiss upon her head, only to pull her in even closer. He never wanted this moment to end and he felt like keeping the girl this close to him for all of eternity. As the couple twirled and spinned all of their surroundings were forgotten, each other's eyes being the only thing they could look into. With the sounds of the guitar guiding them in their steps the two lovebirds breathed in sync as one. Hearing the song drawing to a conclusion Gohan stopped his circling motion and pulled Videl in as close as he could.

Tipping her chin up lightly made him stare into those beautiful pools of blue. A smile curled around his lips as he moved his face in close. A happy and sensational thrill surged through his body as he kissed his soulmate, his lips still tingling after their lips parted.

It was like something had taken control of him when he spoke the words. Not that he minded, of course they had been sincere. Yet he said them without even thinking about it. Gohan figured that it was just his heart speaking for him. As he brought his lips close to Videl's ear so she could hear him over the music he spoke three simple yet powerful words.

"I love you."

Even though the words came as a surprise to Videl a smile was the only thing that she could muster. That boy she had met not too long ago in the public library had confessed his love towards her and it made her feel all warm and swarming with butterflies on the inside. Taking one of his large hands into her palms the girl stood on her toes as she pressed a kiss onto his lips.

"I love you too."

* * *

The couple was making their way back to the Satan Manor. The concert was over and they had an absolute blast. Some of the traces of adrenaline were still in their veins, neither one of the teens being able to keep from getting jumpy or excited. With his arm wrapped around Videl's shoulder Gohan guided her over the sidewalks and back to her house. A walk through Satan City Park was required but the couple didn't mind having to walk over the cracked up footpaths. As they walked past the rows of trees and park benches the couple chit-chatted happily. Videl still in ecstasy over the concert.

"...And when Lzzy started toying with the audience!" she chimed cheerfully. "I thought that I died a little inside then!"

The girl couldn't be happier than she was at the moment. The night had been absolutely amazing; First Gohan had taken her with him to go see her favorite band in the whole world. They had shared a romantic dance and on top of that all he had told her that he loved her. The feeling of bliss seemed impossible to get rid of and frankly the normally tough and fierce crimefighter felt like skipping all the way home.

"Tyler!" A distant voice yelled. Videl turned her head to see a young mother chasing after her child. Clearly the toddler was much more interested in the slide several feet away from him then in his fuming mother. "No, Tyler! Come back!"

Videl couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Wondering if her boyfriend had seen it too the girl turned around, only to see Gohan staring blankly ahead of him, his onyx eyes expressing a deep emptiness and his mouth opened in a soundless scream."

* * *

The sound of high heels tapping on the hardwood floor caught the teenager's attention and made him rip his stare away from the small toddler sleeping peacefully in his little bed. A long and elegant woman was standing in the doorway to his little brother's bedroom.

"What do you want?" the demi-Saiyan spat.

"My, my Gohan," the woman chuckled. "You need to shape up on your manners, that's no way to talk to a lady." Her long and graceful legs led her into the room and she halted by Gohan's side, resting an elegant hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You know what I'm here for," she spoke in a hush tone of voice. "You knew exactly why I'm here."

"Yes," the teen grunted as he swatted her hand away. "And I refuse to have any of it. I won't let you."

"Just look at yourself," the woman's voice commanded. Hearing that made Gohan wince. He knew exactly what she meant by that and he had to admit that she was right.

"You've become a danger to yourself, Gohan," the woman said as she looked at the sleeping form in the small bed. "And how do you expect to take care of your little brother all by yourself if you can't even tell the difference between right and wrong anymore? How can Goten grow up in a normal family when his big brother is emotionally traumatized and haunted by his past twenty-four hours a day?"

Gohan balled his fists and dug his nails into the skin of his palm. Once again she was right. Barely all he could do as of late was cry his eyes out as soon as he had put Goten to bed. His mental stability was more than questionable and having his younger sibling around him was nothing but a bad idea.

Yet, the Saiyan teen felt like it was his obligation to take care of the child. Goten would never get to know his real father and when he finally would be as old as Gohan was right now he would barely have any memories of his mother. Gohan thought that the small demi-Saiyan would need an actual blood relative in his life to take care of him and watch over him as he slept.

"Now, you know that it's just best to cooperate," the woman reasoned. "It won't help either one of us if you decide to throw a fit or pick a fight."

The rhythmical sound of her stiletto heels tapping filled the room as she walked over the the small bed. As she pulled back the covers a young toddler became visible. His thick and yet-black locks were nearly identical to his brother's and his deep and peaceful breathing made it clear that he was far off into dreamland.

The woman's voice turned to a mere whisper as she lifted the kid from his matras and took him into her arms.

'Hi Goten, I'm your new mommy now."

All Gohan could do was idly sit by and swallow the lump forming in his throat. His palms were starting to bleed my now and he could feel the red substance trickling from in between his fingers. He had to use all the restraint he had to prevent himself from attacking the woman, to let her know that there was no way that she could continue with her plans. But this was what was best for Goten and all he could do was suck it up.

"P-Please... I beg you..." the boy's voice choked in his throat and was soaked with emotion. A small sob escaped his lips as a tear rolled over his left cheek. "Don't take him away from me, he's all I have. I beg of you... don't take him..."

But his pleas fell on deaf ears. "I'm sorry..." the woman whispered as she clutched the sleeping child against her chest. "But this is what's best and you know that too."

Gohan dropped to his knees as the woman started walking out of the room, his hands supporting his weight on the floor. The tears were freely flowing over his face now and he was barely able to form words in between his heartbreaking cries.

"P-P-please..."But the woman didn't lustin anymore. With one final look of compassion she paced out of the room, leaving the teenager to sulk in his own sadness. Tears could be heard dripping on the ground as they rolled off of his chin, his cries still not muffled. "G-Goten, please come back," Gohan cried as he curled up into a ball of depression and despair. "Please..."

* * *

Videl had no clue as to how it could all happen so quickly. One minute she and Gohan were leisurely walking through Satan City Park and the next minute her boyfriend had zoned out completely, not responding to any of her actions.

At first it had just been him staring blankly ahead, but after a minute or two Videl thought that she was going crazy when Gohan started talking to himself. He had been going on about his little brother Goten and how somebody was going to take the child away from him. And suddenly, out of the blue, the depressed boy had dropped to his knees and started crying uncontrollably, begging an unseen presence to come back to him and stay with him.

Reasoning that it had to be one of his delusions playing a trick on him by perhaps making him relive a past memory Videl quickly dropped to the ground beside the crying teenager and took him into her arms, rubbing his back and whispering to him that everything was going to be alright even though he probably couldn't hear her. As the gears in her mind were turning like crazy Videl concluded that Gohan still hadn't overcome his depression entirely. If he was having delusions about having his little brother taken away from him, maybe Videl could help him out with that. Yes, that was what she would do.

The only question was, where was Son Goten now?


	9. Chapter 9

**Good day to y'all! After having struggled with a writer's block for over several days i've finally managed to write this chapter. It turned out slightly longer than expected, but I figure that you guys won't mind ;).**

So now please Read, Review and Enjoy!

With a simple flick of a button Videl shifted her jetcopter into autopilot. Kicking her feet up the Satan girl stared out the window to enjoy the oceanic scenery. Watching the clear blue waves battle the whipping currents as the sun gave the entire spectacle a beautiful golden glow made her relax and happy that she was well underway to her destination.

Several days ago back in Satan City Park, Videl had made a decision as she cradled a weeping Gohan in her arms. Seeing the boy so distraught caused her to think of what could finally get him to overcome his depression after all these years. Making the mental link to the demi-Saiyan's little brother, the girl knew what she had to do.

Finding Son Goten hadn't exactly been the hardest task in the world. No matter how secluded Gohan may have lived during his childhood, he was still a registered citizen of Earth. Assuming that his mother had enough common sense to have his little brother's birth registered as well the crimefighter used her connections with the Satan City Police Department. Looking under the name Son Goten she indeed found information of the kid being born, but there wasn't a single other detail to be found of his first four years of life.

Suddenly, almost out of the blue, two names appeared in the young boy's personal information. According to Gohan, his sibling had been taken away from him and logical reasoning brought Videl to conclude that they were probably the child's new adoptive parents. Quickly penning down the name and address, the raven-haired girl left the police station with a satisfied smirk on her face.

As the view of blue seemed to stretch endlessly along the horizon, Videl interlaced her fingers behind her head and sank back a bit further in her seat. It didn't take long for her mind to trail off, her thoughts revolving around the young child that she was about to demand to speak with not too long from now. Not even in the deepest and darkest corners of her mind she was able to fathom who would do something as horrible as ripping away a small boy from his big brother, especially if that big brother only has him to cling onto as a lifeline. Images of men with evil grins and women laughing hysterically popped into her mind, but she managed to shake them off. Worrying about what was to come would only make things harder on her.

It didn't take long for a small light on the dashboard of the jetcopter to start blinking and for a high pitched beeping noise to sound throughout the vehicle. Knowing that this meant that she was about to arrive at her destination, Videl shifted back to manual piloting and took a hold of the controls. In the left corner of her eye she saw what she had been looking for and, with some professional flying manoeuvres, the girl swiftly lowered her jetcopter down to the tiny patch of soil below.

At first the Satan girl had been in a state of pure confusion when she had filled in the address of Goten's adoptive parents on her GPS in her jetcopter. The middle of the ocean didn't exactly seem like a cozy place to live in her opinion and she wasn't even sure that there would be an island big enough to build a house on this far out in the water. But now that her vehicle was actually landing on the island in question, the only thing that she could wonder was how these people went grocery shopping this far from society.

Videl exited her jetcopter and re-capsulized it, the gigantic chunk of metal disappearing in a thick cloud of smoke. She then took a minute to study her surroundings.

The island was small, just big enough to house the small wooden residence in the middle of the sandy soil. The words "KAME HOUSE" flared across the top of the house in red, giving the structure a fairly stark contrast to the yellow sand beneath her feet. The waves were gentle at the moment, creating as peaceful atmosphere. Suddenly Videl could easily understand why someone would want to live here.

She couldn't help but feel nervous as she walked up to the front door. Frankly, she had no idea what to expect or how to handle the situation that was about to unfold. Knocking three times, the girl held her breath in anticipation.

The piece of wood slightly screeched in protest as it swung open. Videl anxiously awaited whoever would poke his or her head around the door, but she was thrown off guard by a squeaky voice coming from below her.

Standing in front of the petite crimefighter was a little girl. The child barely even reached to Videl's waist, but her full head of blonde hair, neatly bound into two pigtails certainly made up for that visible shortcoming.

"Hello?" the girl chirped in a high-pitched voice. Videl couldn't help but be adored by the kid's cute appeal and she sank through her knees to met her eye to eye.

"Hello, sweetie?" the Satan girl chimed in return. "Are your mommy and daddy home?"

The blonde girl's face lit up brightly and the swung the door open further, gesturing for Videl to step inside and declaring that she would go and get her mommy and daddy. Videl was left standing alone in the middle of the unknown and empty living room.

As the small footsteps paced their way up the stairs, the teenager tried to process the insides of the little house, trying to find anything that could give her a clue as to who these people really were. Judging from the way they had scarred Gohan when they had taken away his little brother, Videl wouldn't have been surprised to see whips and chains hanging from the walls and faint and tortured screams to sound from the basement. Yet, the small living room seemed so normal, just like any other.

Soft thuds filled the room when someone was heard walking downstairs. The girl shot up and cast her cerulean eyes towards the staircase. A pair of stunning and curvy legs wrapped up nicely in a pair of light blue jeans was the first thing that came into her sight. As the unknown woman stepped down into the living room Videl immediately felt a little intimidated.

The woman was gorgeous, that much was certain even to Videl. She had the body of a professional athlete, her stomach flat and waist slim, yet all the curves a woman should have were still there and, not to forget, still very appealing. Her hair was blonde and almost fell down to her shoulders.

Videl wasn't entirely sure what it was about this woman that gave her the creeps so much. To any other she would've seemed like an ordinary mother of two, but there was something about her that made the small crimefighter shudder. Looking more closely she noticed that it had to be the woman's eyes. Just like hers they were of a piercing blue and Videl was certain that she could easily glare about the entire male population into submission.

"What do you want?" the woman spoke. Her voice was cold and distant, although the teenager did assume that this was part of her natural sound. Gathering up her courage to speak she took a step forward.

"Are you Miss Eighteen?" Videl asked as she tried to avoid the blonde's menacing stare.

"Yes," Eighteen replied as she folded her arms in front of her full chest. "But how is it that know my name while I have no clue as to who you are?" The android's brow furrowed deeply before she lowered her voice. "So I'll ask you one more time: Who are you and what is your business here?"

The raven-haired girl gulped a bit as Eighteen's angry glare made her feel weak to her knees. Holy crap, this woman was frightening! The blonde had so much power to her, just her entire presence alone was enough to make a grown man cower.

"M-My name is Videl Satan and-," The crimefighter wasn't even able to finish her sentence before the beautiful blondine cut her off short.

"Don't tell me that you're the daughter of that stupid oaf Hercule Satan," Eighteen spat, pulling a sour face in the process. After getting a weak nod in reply she started to laugh wholeheartedly, her entire upper body quaking along.

"Well dear," she said as she swayed her blonde hair out of her face with unnatural grace, "I certainly pity you, having to deal with such a moron for a parent. Did he send you out here to bother us or something? I clearly told him that I wanted nothing more to do with him."

Completely blind to the fact that this mystery woman clearly had ties from the past with her father Videl raised her hands in defense.

"No, no. I think you misunderstood," the Satan girl hastily blurted before Eighteen could get angry. "I'm not here on my father's behalf. I came here because of Gohan."

Eighteen's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the name of the demi-Saiyan. Her eyebrows knitted together in an angry frown as the volume of her voice was raised by several decibels.

"What is it now with that stupid little shit?" the woman nearly growled in annoyance. "I swear, I can't believe that that angsty little teen hasn't offed himself by now. He was a crying mess several years ago and I wouldn't be surprised if he still is."

"That's one of the reasons I came here," her voice was still a tad shaky, but with her goal in mind she managed to continue. "I've come to know Gohan over the past few months and believe it or not, but he is a changed person. I actually see him smile all the time."

"And what do you expect me to do with this information?" the android said coldly. "I haven't exactly taken any interest in that boy's life the past few years and I wasn't planning on doing so now."

"See, the thing is, " Videl was hesitant in her choice of words since the blonde's continuous distant behaviour was making her feel more hopeless with every passing second. "I think there is one thing that prevents Gohan from truly being happy. There is something that still bugs him and won't allow him to be completely satisfied with his life. "

The cerulean-eyed girl gulped slightly before she revealed her true intentions. Tiny footsteps were heard pacing down the stairs but the teenager failed to notice this as she had her mind focused on more important matters.

"I think that the key to unlocking Gohan's happiness would be for you to allow him to see his little brother again."

Eighteen's face immediately turned to a look of thunder and Videl felt like she could've soiled herself right then and there. It seemed that the mother of two was about to lunge at her when a small voice sounded through the room.

"Mommy, why can't I go see my big brother?" the little kid asked curiously. "I wanna see him real bad!"

Two sets of icy blue eyes glanced downwards, meeting the form of an adorable seven year old boy. The child resembled Gohan in every way possible. Goten had the exact same piercing onyx orbs as his big brother and the head full of thick black locks didn't leave a question unanswered. The young demi-Saiyan was adorable in every way; the way those brown eyes stared up at her made her feel weak to her knees, and frankly, she wanted nothing more than to drop to her knees and cuddle the kid to death.

"B-Because..." Eighteen suddenly found herself stuttering, not wanting to seem angry in front of her adoptive son. "Gohan is really crazy and,-"

"No he's not!" Videl shouted in protest. "That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time but you're too damn stubborn to listen!"

Eighteen was about to growl something back in reply, but the sound of heavy footsteps walking down the staircase made all heads in the room turn.

"Now, what is all this ruckus about?" A small, bald man walked into the room and Videl the teenaged fighter immediately recognized him as Krillin, a student of the Turtle School and one of the bigger names in the history of the Budokai Tenkaichi. Seeing the martial artist stand next to his wife gave Videl a sense of awkwardness; the height difference between the two alone was enough to make her want to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Oh, and who is this lovely young lady?" the bald monk queried as he humbly took a bow.

"My name is Videl Satan." The girl couldn't help but agree with Krillin as he pulled a face upon hearing her last name. She also would have pitied anyone burdened with her last name. "And I came here because I want to take Goten with me to meet Gohan."

"I WILL HAVE NONE OF IT!" the android's voice boomed. "That stupid brat is too dangerous to have around my son!"

"Honey, calm down," the short man soothed as he tried to calm his wife. "There's no need for argument. Why don't we let Videl here tell us what's on her mind first before we do anything irrational." He then turned to the Satan girl and flashed her a friendly smile. "Would you mind explaining what you mean, dear?"

Relieved that she would be able to tell her story without any further interruptions, the teenager glanced at the little boy peering at her from behind his mother's leg. She prayed to Kami that this would work or at least that she would leave this house unscratched, judging by the icy glares she was receiving from the tall woman.

"Before you walked in I was trying to tell your wife something," Videl explained, turning to Krillin so she could avoid Eighteen's piercing stare. "Gohan has almost overcome his depression, but there's something still bugging him. I know that whenever he smiles he is actually genuinely happy but there are still things gnawing at his conscience. And I firmly believe that all of that can be resolved if Gohan would be allowed to see his little brother again. Losing the only family that he had to cling to really left its marks on him and if you would please allow him to see Goten again I think that it can finally heal all the wounds from his past."

"Yes daddy!" Goten shouted at jumped from behind Eighteen's leg and stormed towards his adoptive father. "Can I please go see my big brother? Please? I haven't seen him in a really long time and I really missed him! Can I?" the kid nearly bounced up and down in excitement over the possibility of seeing his sibling again. Videl couldn't help but giggle at the sight of it and the annoyed huff coming from Goten's 'mommy' only made her feel better about herself.

"Well, I think," Krillin said as he tousled his son's black locks, "that that would be a great idea! I bet it would be awesome to see Gohan again!"

Videl's face lit up bright as the bald monk gave her his consent. His wife certainly seemed to disagree, but the girl tried to avoid the woman's deadly looks. When she noticed the curious stare she was receiving from Krillin, she arched a brow in question.

"I was just wondering," he had to shout because otherwise the girl wouldn't be able to hear him over Goten's excited cheers. "Where do you know Gohan from?"

"I, uh," Videl replied awkwardly. "I'm Gohan's girlfriend, actually."

A huge grin sprawled across the martial artists face and he couldn't prevent a snicker from escaping, causing Videl to sweatdrop slightly.

"That horny old dog!" Krillin laughed out loud. "I never assumed Gohan would be such a ladies man!"

"Hmph," the blonde woman scoffed as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "I think that it's only safe to assume that she's just as batshit crazy as her boyfriend. Anybody who would want to date an emotional mess like that just has to be a bit loony."

Videl felt a vein in her temple pop. She had had more than enough of this woman's excessive insulting and offending.

"Hey!" the crimefighter hollered back. "I have had it with you and your rude mouth! Maybe I should knock you down a few pegs!"

As the two young women stood face to face Krillin's voice could be heard giving a perfect description of the scene unfolding.

"Oh boy... Let's just hope that they don't break the TV..."

* * *

"I- I-," the young Namekian stuttered as his green fingers wrapped around his wooden cane. "I don't understand how this could happen..."

"Ah, don't sweat it, Dende," Gohan said nonchalantly while he leaned back against one of the many palm trees a little further. "There is absolutely nothing to worry about!"

"Nothing to worry about?" the Guardian of the Earth parroted. "I became weak, Gohan! And we will need to be able to use the Dragonballs to their full ability at all times!"

"And exactly how much power would they have lost?" the demi-Saiyan asked as if it was of no important matter.

"Erm... let's see..." Dende muttered as he dug into his mind in thought. "I suppose that they are about as powerful as when Kami was still responsible for them. They can still grant a wish, but they won't be able to use all the perks and enhancements I gave them. We won't be able to revive anyone more than once."

Gohan's brow furrowed momentarily, but all the worry visible in the boy's onyx eyes quickly disappeared.

"Like I already said, don't sweat it," the teenager sweet talked the situation. "We are living in times of peace. The Earth hasn't been in any kind of peril for years. The Dragonballs are of no use to us now, so why worry over it?"

Dende simply stood there with his mouth slightly ajaw. it was hard to believe that Gohan could remain so relaxed in a situation like this, especially seeing the mental instability he had shown the past few years.

"Wow..." the green youngster managed to utter. "This girl has really turned you around, hasn't she?"

"Yeah...' a smile curled around the boy's lips at the thought of his girlfriend. "She certainly has caused some serious improvements in life. I actually feel happy now that I have her around me, you know?"

The Namek couldn't help but smile as well. As a child he had always looked up to Gohan, even though the had been about the same age. He had always see the teenager as some sort of role model, seeing the way his courage surfaced whenever it really mattered. Seeing him so distraught made Dende feel awful, especially since there was nothing that he could do to help his friend. Now Gohan was making some good recovery and it warmed Dende's heart to see that.

"Why are you here anyway?" the Namekian queried as he planted himself in the grass next to the teenager.

"I got bored," was the sincere reply. "Videl told me that she had some things to take care of so I decided to swing by for a visit, it's been way too long since I've seen you."  
And that's when the boy felt a familiar Ki signal spike aggressively somewhere on the other side of the globe. Obviously it was Videl's Ki and normally Gohan wouldn't worry about the anger feelable in his girlfriend's energy, knowing how her temper could act up all of a sudden. But this time it felt like she was seriously about to harm someone and Gohan couldn't help but worry. He quickly rose to his feet and waved Dende a small goodbye.

"I'm sorry to have to leave so quickly," the demi-Saiyan apologized. "But something has come up and I have to go."

"That's alright," Dende said. "You just go ahead and help out that girl of yours."

And with that the boy ran away at lightning speed, barely even touching the white tiles below his feet. As he reached the end of the Lookout he took a huge leap and sailed over the edge, plummeting down towards the Earth at tremendous speed. Neatly steering himself to his destination with the use of his Ki Gohan kicked up a little steam, wanting to be with Videl as soon as possible.

* * *

"STUPID LITTLE TWERP!"

"ANNOYING OLD HAG!"

Insults flew back and forth in between the two beautiful women as the stood facing each other, their foreheads nearly touching. Krillin was idly standing by, only hoping that he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. These two were dangerous!

"BUFFOON'S OFFSPRING!"

"BLONDE WITCH!"

Goten eyed his mother and the strange girl screaming at each other like he was watching a ping-pong match. Apparently this unknown lady wanted to take him to see his big brother but his mommy wouldn't let him. All she did was scream about Big Brother being crazy and dangerous. But the kid didn't believe that, he was sure that Gohan was a good person! And he wanted to see him again real badly!

"But mommy!" Goten intervened, causing the two young women to look in his direction. "Why can't I go see my big brother? I really want to!'

"Because, Goten," Eighteen replied in a stern tone of voice. "I already told you, Gohan is crazy and I won't have him around you!"

"No he isn't!" Videl shouted in agitation. "I keep telling you bu-"

The door to the Kame House swung open and the head of Videl, Eighteen, Krillin and Goten turned in the same direction. Standing in the doorway was Gohan and the look on his face was in the least to say disapproving. However, when his eyes met those of his girlfriend he sighed in relief and walked into the living room.

"Videl, I was worried sick about you!" the demi-Saiyan said as she spread his arms open wide to catch her in an embrace. As he walked over he noticed that the living room he was standing in looked awfully familiar. When it finally sank in where he actually was his eyes turned the size of dinner plates. Turning to Videl his voice suddenly became choppy.

"Y-You didn't, please tell me you didn't..." he said worriedly. After all the drama he had been through he finally felt like he was crawling back up on his horse. Dragging Goten back into the situation would only make matters worse again. Not that he blamed Videl, she was only trying to make him happy, how could she know the damage that she could've caused.

"Hey Gohan!" Krillin's excited voice called. The teenager in question gave the bald monk a friendly nod

"Hey Krillin, long time no see!"

The boy noticed the beautiful blonde by the man's side and he wasn't surprised to see that she would barely acknowledge his existence. Deciding to just ignore her he walked over to his girlfriend. However, a very familiar sound made hims top dead in his tracks.

"Are you Gohan?"

Gohan looked down and his onyx eyes met a set of nearly identical brown orbs staring at him in pure interest. He immediately felt his knees grew weak as he saw his little brother for the first time in four years.

"Goten?" the older one of the two asked as he sank through his knee, meeting the child eye to eye. Aside from having grown quite a few inches Goten hadn't changed a bit, his thick black locks still shooting out in every direction imaginable and his face still resembling his father's in every way. Gohan felt a small wave of sadness wash over him at the thought of his deceased parents, but that sadness was soon washed away by a feeling of pure bliss as he ruffled his little brother's hair.

"Are you my brother?" Goten questioned. Gohan certainly couldn't blame the boy for not recognizing him anymore, it had been four years since they had last seen each other after all. He was happy enough that his sibling could still remember his name.

"yeah, it's me, Gohan," the teenager replied, a smile curling around his lips. "Your brother, I came here to-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as the small boy took a hold of one of his big hands, jerking him along with him. For such a tiny kid he certainly was strong! Gohan wanted to protest, but his little brother wouldn't have any of it. the seven-year-old dropped himself down on the carpet in front of the television and gestured for the taller boy to do the same. Doing as he was told Gohan lowered himself to the floor, watching with eyes big in anticipation when Goten pulled a giant box from underneath the coffee table.

"Here, big brother!" the child yelped enthusiastically as he shoved a toy train into Gohan's hands. "I'm so glad you came over, cause now we can finally play again together!" the kid's eyes sparkled in joy as he let his plastic train ride over the little bumps in the carpet, mimicking the sounds of flaring engines as he did so.

His brother could simply watch as he sat in front the child he had missed so dearly for all of these years. After all this time Goten immediately wanted to play games with him again, like he had never been gone in the first place. The young Saiyan's innocence warmed Gohan's heart and made him watch him in pure happiness.

"Big brother!" Goten protested out of the blue. "You have to play along or otherwise it won't be any fun!'

Gohan shook his head a bit, bringing his mind back to the scene in front of him. Realizing that he had been holding a toy train for several minutes he put the piece of plastic down on the carpet and softly moved it forward, parroting the sounds of a steaming transport train.

"Vroooooom!" the teenage boy cried out happily as he got lost in his playtime with Goten. "Like that?" he queried as he turned to his little brother.

"No, no!" Goten scolded. "It's gotta be more like this: Choo-choo!" he yelped in glee. Too bad that Big Brother didn't really know how to play all that well yet, but he was willing to show him the ropes.

Videl watched from a distance as the two brothers laughed heartily and played with each other as if they had been around each other forever. There was no sign at all that the two hadn't seen each other for several years and to see how the duo interacted was just endearing.

"Boy, will you look at that," Krillin said with a grin from ear to ear. "Honey, isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever seen?" he said, turning to his wife. A grouchy mumble was her only reply.

"No big brother, trains can't fly! Wow, you really are new to this playing thing, aren't you?"

* * *

The day literally flew by after the two brothers' reunion. the entire afternoon was spent playing a variety of games and around nightfall the duo was sitting on the couch watching Goten's favorite television show. As the night progressed it became apparent just how much all of the excitement that the day had brought had drained to kid of his energy. After over an hour of nodding back and forth he drifted off into a deep slumber, his tiny fingers softly clutching his big brother's shirt.

Gohan looked at the sleeping form in his lap with a smile of content. It felt so incredibly good to finally be reunited with his only family and he knew for sure that Krillin would allow him to see the child more often from now on. Happy to know that luck was finally on his side again the demi-Saiyan exhaled deeply. The day had taken a lot out of him as well.

"Here, let me take the little fellow to bed," Krillin said as he walked up the couch. "it must have been quite a tiresome day for the both of you."

"No, no," Gohan protested. "Let me put him to bed."

After being met with an approving nod from the bald man Gohan slowly rose from the couch to not wake the small Saiyan boy from his sweet dreams. Step by little step he walked to the appointed room and swung the door open with his free hand. Making no sounds at all the teenager laid his sibling down in his bed and put the covers over his tiny body. The older brother leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on the tyke's forehead, causing Goten to stir slightly.

Gohan was about to leave the room when Goten opened his eyes and called out still half-asleep.

"Big brother?" he spoke softly as he rubbed some sleep from his eyes with his knuckles. "Am I going to see you more often now?"

A gentle smile curled the corners of the teen's lips. "Yes, Goten, I will be around more from now on."

"Yay!" the younger one of the duo tried to cheer but ended up yawning instead. As he laid his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes again he spoke to Gohan one more time.

"I'm really happy I have you back big brother, I really missed you. I'm glad that we can be a family again."

Gohan wasn't able to bring up a reply to that. All he could do was wipe a black lock from Goten's face and sigh in content.

"And your girlfriend's really pretty too, I like her."

"She sure is pretty, squirt."

Goten yawned again and rolled onto his side. "Goodnight, big brother. I hope that I'll dream of us and that we'll be playing again just like we did today!"

As Gohan walked to the door and placed his finger on the light switch he looked at the small boy in the bed once more. Now that Goten was back into his life everything would be better.

"Sweet dreams, squirt."


	10. Chapter 10

**Good day, people of Fanfiction and beyond! It's been awhile since I updated this and I almost shame myself for it. But anyway, here's chapter 10 (finally!)!**

So now please Read, Review and Enjoy!

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Gohan and Videl sat facing each other at the gigantic and overly fancy dinner table. The demi-Saiyan nervously pulled at the collar of his orderly suit. When his girlfriend had invited him over for dinner at her father's house he knew that he could expect some awkward silences and nerve-wracking moments, but this was just insane! And the man of the house hadn't even arrived at the table yet!

The boy glanced at the clock and felt like time was standing still. In the back of his head he was laughing at the irony of the situation. He was a teenager with superhuman strengths and the ability to fly! And yet here he was, sweating bullets over a simple dinner with his girlfriend's father. Looking to his right Gohan noticed that Videl wasn't doing any better. Her expression was one of pure anxiety as she awaited her father's arrival.

Hercule Satan had certainly made sure that this 'little get-together' would be one to remember. The oversized dinner table had been made with the finest tablecloths and the most expensive china that the man could find. Candles had been lit along the length of the table, giving the whole scene a cozy and warm glow.

"When will your dad finally show?" Gohan eventually asked nervously. "I'm starting to get a little nervous here in case you hadn't noticed."

"I don't know!" Videl shrugged. The girl was easily as anxious as her boyfriend as she tugged at the straps of her expensive dress. "That's probably what he wants too, for you to be so intimidated by him that you'll never want to come back."

That exclamation managed to relieve the tension to a certain degree since the demi-Saiyan burst into a fit of chuckles. The thing that bugged him most about this dinner was that he had to leave a proper impression on his girlfriend's father. Hercule Satan wasn't exactly an intimidating man and the mental image of the older martial artist with his eyebrows in an angry frown beneath his fuzzy afro was just funny.

Their laughter was cut off though when a door opened and Hercule stepped into the dining room. The man hadn't made an effort to make himself look good in Gohan's point of view, Hercule having thrown on an expensive red robe that covered the biggest part of his body. The Champion sat himself down at the head of the table and remained silent as her rested her elbows on the table with his fingers interlacing.

In the brief moment of silence both teenagers felt the heat of Hercule's intense stare licking at their skin. Mr. Satan was obviously studying what probably was the 'vermin that Videl has been dating'. The eyes surrounded by crows' feet were slowly scanning every aspect of the boy, and they eyebrows above them nearly furrowed into a frown as the man wasn't able to spot anything out of the ordinary. This kid was well dressed, good looking and seemed like a sympathetic person overall.

Hercule let out a sigh and reached for the glass of red wine by his dinner plate. He took a sip and took his silverware into his hands, slicing through a piece of meat before poking it onto his fork.

"So, Gohan, it is..." the older martial artist eventually broke the silence. The teen boy gave a nod of confirmation, but Hercule barely paid any attention . "I hear you are currently in a relationship with my daughter. Is that correct?"

Gohan gulped slightly and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Y-yes, that is correct, Mr. Satan. Videl and I have been dating for the past few weeks."

"Then tell me," Hercule grunted before putting the piece of meat into his mouth. Videl and Gohan nervously waited until he had chewed down. "How serious are you in your relationship with her?"

Videl shot up in her boyfriend's defense. "Daddy, what's that supposed to mean?"

Hercule sent her an obviously faked smile and the man lowered the volume of his voice in an attempt to keep his daughter's temper under control.

"Oh, nothing much sweetie. I just want to make sure that this boy here has the right intentions," Mr. Satan pricked another piece of meat to his fork and quickly chewed it down before he turned to Gohan, who had slowly begun to consume his dinner as well. "So like I asked before: How serious are you with my little baby girl?"

" D-Dead serious," Gohan stuttered nervously. "Videl means everything to me, I love her more than anything in the world!" The teen shot his girlfriend a glance hoping that she would be able to explain her father's behavior, but she shrugged her shoulders.

"Hmmm..." Hercule mumbled in a deep tone. "I pray to Kami that you're not lying to me, boy. I wouldn't want to see my little girl get hurt."

Gohan raised his hands in defense. "I would never do anything to hurt Videl and that is no lie, Mr. Satan. She really does mean the world to me and I could never forgive myself if I would make her cry; It would tear me up inside."  
"Fine, fine, I believe you," the man caved in. "You seem like an honest young man and that's something I like seeing."

Gohan and Videl shared a look and then a confident smile. This dinner was definitely turning into a more positive direction and that really lightened the overall atmosphere in the dining room.

"However," Hercule cut off the small moment of bliss. "If I find out that you hurt my daughter in any way possible I will make sure that you suffer the consequences."

The boy didn't even get a chance to gulp before his girlfriend angrily jumped up in protest.

"DAD!" Videl shouted angrily as she slammed her palms down on the dinner table, causing the glasses, china and silverware to rattle dangerously. "Why do you always do this? Why do you have to go and meddle in every single aspect of my life? I hate to break it to you, but I'm not your little girl anymore; I'm mature now and I can take care of myself without your assistance."

Hercule turned about two shades paler during his daughter's rant. That girl really was scary when she got angry.

"So please, for the love of Kami, stop trying to intervene in my lovelife! I brought Gohan here to introduce him to you, not to have you threaten him!"

Her father sighed in defeat. She was right, he always did this. The martial artist had never liked the mental image of his daughter actually having a relationship with a boy. On the few very rare occasions that his daughter had actually brought a boy home with her he had gone and scared them away as far as they possibly could. But not this time. Tonight he was going to be the loving and caring kind of father that Videl wanted him to be.

"I'm sorry pumpkin, you're right," Hercule confessed with a scratch through his black moustache. "I shouldn't have acted out like that, I was merely trying to give you the best you deserve. I promise it won't happen again."

"...Good." Videl said while she planted herself back on her chair.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly and without any bumps along the way. The threesome made quite a lot of small talk in between the scraping of knives over plates and every now and then a loud bellow of a laugh boomed through the room as Hercule cracked up over one of his own jokes. While the staff was busy bringing in the dessert, Mr. Satan decided to change to subject to what he dedicated his entire life to.

"So Gohan," the man grasped the demi-Saiyan's attention as he wiped the corners of his mouth clean with a napkin. "Videl informed me that you have an interest in martial arts as well?"

A smile curled around Gohan's lips. Finally a subject that could impress the World Champion with.

"Yes, that's true," the black-haired boy replied as he dug his spoon into the chocolate pudding in front of him. "I've been training in the skill of martial arts since I was about four years old, sir."

Hercule arched a brow and nodded his head. "Impressive, impressive," he had to admit. "And what kind of kata do you prefer the most?" The man's eyebrows went up even higher, secretly hoping to hear his last name roll over the teen's tongue.

"Well, not to offend you or anything, but no, it wasn't your dojo, Mr. Satan," Gohan chuckled goofily as he scratched the back of his head. "Ever since I was a little boy I have been trained in the ways of the legendary Turtle Hermit Master Roshi. I've completely mastered all of the Turtle school's moves and as of now I am busy studying the old katas demonstrated by Demon King Piccolo."

"The Turtle School?" Videl exclaimed baffled. "I heard Master Roshi only teaches to a very select amount of people!"

"Yes, that's true," Gohan replied with a grin. "Apparently I was worthy enough to be taught his ways."

"Very impressive!" Hercule complemented while stuffing his face with pudding. "And trying to learn all the moves of Demon King Piccolo seems like quite the challenge."

Gohan nodded his head in confirmation. "It is, but I consider challenges as a good thing. We'd get nowhere in life if we didn't get a proper challenge every once in awhile."

"Those are wise words for such a young man," the middle-aged man smiled. "I am curious, who did you really look up to as a martial artist during your youth? Who would you consider to be your role model?"

This silenced the teenager for quite a while, earning him stares from his girlfriend and her father. The answer to that question was obvious. From the day that he was able to walk he had always looked up to his dad, in his eyes the greatest hero who had ever lived. Ever since he was a young boy Son Goku has been the ultimate role model in his life. But the thought of his deceased father also pained Gohan and filled his heart with sadness. Looking back up to meet the two sets of eyes staring at him the demi-Saiyan managed to smile weakly.

"I'm sorry," Gohan apologized. "It's just that the man that I always looked up to past away several years ago."

"Don't sweat it, kid," Hercule said in a consoling tone. "And who was his man, if I might ask?"

The teen found it somewhat difficult to get his father's name over his lips.

"The man's name is Son Goku, a great fighter and an even greater hero," Gohan answered, feeling a small shimmer of pride glowing in his chest at the thought of his father's heroic deeds. "Ever since I was a young tyke he always managed to amaze me with his seemingly endless capabilities. I always dreamed of once becoming the hero that he used to be."

Videl sat next to her boyfriend listening in awe. She had heard the name Son Goku mentioned before and she knew that he was the World Champion of Martial Arts before her father won the title and reached his stardom. Judging by the achievements of the Son fighter the girl reasoned that Gohan was definitely a very skilled fighter and suddenly it made sense why the onyx-eyed young man had been able to master The Turtle School fighting style. Figuring that there was still a lot that she didn't know about her soulmate yet she turned her attention back to him and perked her ears, not wanting to miss a single word.

Hercule on the other hand was a lot less impressed. To be more precise, his dark and fuzzy eyebrows were knit together in a disapproving frown.

"I'm sorry to have to break it to you, boy," the man sighed before sipping some wine. "But I can assure you that Son Goku is one of the biggest frauds that the history of Martial Arts knows."

Gohan had to draw a breath as the words reached his ears. He felt anger swelling up deep inside, but he was still able to contain himself. He desperately hoped that Mr. Satan would be silent about the subject, because the demi-Saiyan wasn't confident about being able to keep his rage from bursting. Seven years ago he had sat back and and listened to Hercule spew filth over the Z-fighters' legacy, deeds and achievements, calling them tricksters, frauds, phonies and so on. It had infuriated the young eleven year old. He had worked so hard to keep the Earth safe from the strangling grip of the evil monster Cell and this retard stole his credit, claiming that he had been the one to save the world from total destruction.

Gohan had let all the false claims and the stealing of his credit wash over him, wanting to lead a normal life with his family in their small mountain home. But when Hercule Satan had appeared in front of a camera and had proclaimed to the world that 'The Delivery Boy and his acquaintances" were mere illusionists using light tricks. It had made Gohan's blood boil, but the kid had managed to keep himself calm. Now, seven years later, hearing such a false accusation stung. Deep.

"I mean," Hercule continued his insults as he wolfed down several spoons of chocolate pudding. "Any moron can see that those dirt tricksters couldn't really fly and shoot energy beams and all that weird sort of crap. If you ask me, they were using light tricks and smoke and mirrors, that kind of stuff."

Videl noticed Gohan's jaw clenching as her father kept spewing filth over her boyfriend's former idol and role model. Reaching into her memory the raven-haired girl could remember something that Gohan had told her as he retold his past. He claimed that what her dad always referred to as 'light tricks' were, in fact, real. Did this mean that the boy next to her was also able to fly and bend his energy?

"Nah, it took a real man to defeat that ugly green thing, Cell," Mr. Satan obviously wasn't done with ridiculing the former Champion. The man was getting more and more excited as he patted himself on the back for achievements he hadn't even been a part of to begin with. Gohan on the other hand was getting increasingly more agitated. His blood was beginning to boil and he was sure that if that stupid oaf wouldn't keep his mouth shut any time soon he would snap.

"I'm pretty sure that I would've been able defeat that weakling myself," Hercule hollered in laughter. "I'd probably snap him in half like the twig he is."

Both members of the Satan family jumped when Gohan fiercely slammed his fists down on the table. The sound of wooden cracking could clearly be heard and if one had removed the tablecloth a deep split could be seen in the table. The demi-Saiyan was breathing heavily, his eyes cast down at his feet. Right now he wanted to do nothing more than grab Hercule by his collar and smack the living shit out of the man, but he didn't want to hurt Videl's feelings. Mr. Satan was giving him a weird look and scratched his moustache.

"Gohan, what's the matter?" the man queried, raising a brow.

"Shut up!" Gohan hissed at him through gritted teeth. "You just shut the hell up!"

Videl dropped her jaw in astonishment. never, not even once before had she heard someone tell her father to shut up. For as the girl was concerned she was the only one who could tell her dad to be silent and get away with it.

"What is your problem, kid?" Hercule asked, his tone suddenly a lot more deep and aggravated. "Did I offend you or anything?" The champion was sincere in this; he couldn't wrap his head around this young man. He appears out of nowhere and snags his daughter away from him and now he's sitting at the man's dinner table, looking like he's about to throw the entire table out of the window.

"You are!" Gohan had to do his very best not to start screaming as he raised his head, penetrating the older man's eyes with his onyx orbs. "You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! You go ahead and spew crap over people that could probably kill you without even lifting a finger!"

Hercule couldn't help but gulp. this kid could send a mean glare!

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered nervously. "B-But it's the truth, right? I mean, there's no way that people can actually fly and blow stuff up, right?"

"Wrong!' Gohan shouted in anger. "Son Goku had a strength that you couldn't possibly dream of and you know perfectly well for yourself that's true. From my point of view you were the one cowering behind a rock throughout the entire Cell Games."

Hercule was sweating bullets now. How could that kid have known about his futile attempt to fight Cell? Unless...

Videl watched in awe as her boyfriend rose from his seat and walked around the dinner table, halting right by her father. She had no clue about his intentions, but she was too mesmerized by the whole scenario to do anything to stop him.

"So speak up," Gohan said he pierced right through Mr. Satan with an icy cold glare. "You weren't the one who defeated Cell, were you?"

Silence was all that met him.

Videl held her breath as she waited for the rest of the scene to unfold. The crimefighter had always had a hunch that her father hadn't actually defeated cell himself and that there was more to it than the public knew. from the looks of it it seemed that a lot of secrets could be revealed now.

"Okay, if you're too much of a coward to answer that, riddle me this," the demi-Saiyan could feel his anger growing with each and every second. He wanted to punch that liar's face in so badly now, but he could only go so far. "Who was the one to actually defeat Cell?"

Silence yet again.

"Really?" Gohan laughed in disbelief. "Don't you even recognize me anymore?"

"I- I have no idea what you're talking about!" Hercule replied truthfully.

"Hmh," Gohan huffed right before grabbing a tight hold onto the man's collar. He pulled Hercule up into the air without any bit of difficulty, leaving the afroed fighter to kick and flail his legs around in the search for solid ground not to be found. " Then maybe this will jog your memory.

There was no other place where Hercule Satan could look besides the two deep onyx eyes of the boy holding him by his robe. In a split second he was certain he saw those piercing brown orbs shimmer in a deep green tint, causing him to gasp loudly. He had seen those eyes before and he knew exactly where. He knew who this kid was now; it was that 'Delivery Boy'.

"It's you..." Hercule's voice was a mere whisper, but loud enough for both Gohan and Videl to hear. The demi-Saiyan's lips curled around into a satisfied smile. He had definitely scared the man and that was just what he wanted. It was time for this fraud to realize what his lies and claims had brought upon others. Dumping Hercule back into his chair with a loud thud Gohan walked out of the room, leaving Videl to run after him and Hercule to overcome the initial shock.

"Gohan!" Videl shouted as she ran after her boyfriend, who walked straight of the mansion and into the gigantic garden behind the Satan manor. "Gohan, where are you going?"

She followed the teenager in between a row of trees and halted when he did the same.

"Would you mind explaining to me what the hell just happened back there?"

"Your father just confessed to all his lies and bulsshit stories, if I'm correct," Gohan replied, still slightly agitated from moments earlier. "I just stepped out because I needed to get some fresh air."

" Okay, fine," Videl accepted this answer rather quickly since she didn't want to make this any harder on her brain than it already was. "But tell me, what did my dad mean by 'It's you'?"

Gohan couldn't help but sigh, Videl had to find out sooner or later anyway.

"Do you have any idea who the Delivery Boy is?"

"But of course I do," Videl replied. Of course she knew. She, like many others, had been watching the Cell Games being broadcast. Probably the whole world knew who Gohan was talking about. "That is that blonde boy that was fighting Cell before the cameras died out." It took her a moment to figure out why the demi-Saiyan had asked that question to begin with.

"But are you implying... that it was that boy who defeated Cell, not my father?"

Gohan merely nodded. "There are things that people can do if they get the correct training, Videl." he walked over to his girlfriend and stopped when he was only a few inches away. "I want to show you something."

The raven-haired beauty watched in silence as Gohan closed his eyes. The dark garden lit up brightly as a golden glow enveloped the teen boy's hair, turning his black locks blonde in the switch of a second. When he opened his eyes again his normally brown irises were of a deep shade of turquoise.

" YOU'RE THE DELIVERY BOY?" Videl shouted in amazement. She never would've thought that that shy and awkward young man that she had met in the local library was actually the person that had saved the Earth of total destruction.

"Yes, I am." Gohan answered. " I'm sorry I haven't told you any sooner, but I didn't think you were ready to handle the full truth yet."

He didn't give her a chance to come up with a reply as he swooped her up bridal style. Slowly but surely his feet left the green below them and the duo ascended into the skied through the trees, their silhouettes drawn out against the bright moon. On their way up Gohan spoke to his girlfriend in a mere whisper.

"It's funny how the two of us seem to be destined for all sorts of crap and bullshit, it's almost like the universe doesn't want us to be together. In some weird way it's almost like we're Romeo and Juliet." He chuckled at his own reference. "But I promise you that I will always be here to protect you and to make sure that you're safe. I won't let anything happen to my little Juliet."

And with that the two shared a kiss. The holidays were coming up and it promised to be the best Christmas the two of them ever spent...****


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello people, today I came with a mission and that mission is to please you all with an update! I know that it's been over a month since the last one, but I hope that the ending to this chapter will make up for that. **

**Also, last time I suggested towards a Christmas chapter and I was actually planning on doing one. It was supposed to be all fluffy and cheery, but sadly I had little inspiration. Not that it matters, because that would've been all filler anyway.**

**But I'm not going to hold you off any longer. Enjoy the update, don't forget to leave a review and keep an eye out for the next update ;).**

* * *

In the mere blink of an eye Christmas had come and gone, disappearing along with the powdery white snow that had flurried just in time for the holidays. For Gohan, it had been the best Christmas of his life hands down. After his little 'talk' with Hercule, the man had suddenly been more than willing to let his daughter spend the holidays with her boyfriend, probably scared to death of the idea what the demi-Saiyan would do to him if he refused.

Also, after several futile attempts of trying to convince Eighteen to let his little brother stay over, Krillin had given him the green light. The android hadn't exactly been happy with her husband defying her judgement and the last thing Gohan had seen as he left Kame House was a piercing glare from a set of chilling blue eyes and the bald monk cowering in terror under the coffee table. The teenager quickly covered Goten's eyes as the set off into the skies, happy to not be caught in the crossfires.

The holidays had made it all the more clear to the boy that he was genuinely feeling something that he would describe as happiness now. For the first time in what seemed like his entire life he didn't hold any feelings of sadness or grief, remorse or insecurity or guilt. No longer did Gohan's heart feel like a gaping empty void. As long as he had Goten and Videl by his side his world was complete.

* * *

Videl couldn't have imagined a better place to celebrate the final day of the year. She sighed in content as she sank back a bit further against Gohan's chest, her small fingers clutching the fabric of the boy's shirt. The slow and pounding sound of the teenager's heartbeat made the girl feel at ease and relaxed. His deep and rhythmical breathing was the only sound to be heard in the tiny dome-shaped house and the pure peace that resonated from it made Videl want to fall into a deep slumber, even while it was only noon.

Gohan smiled as he noticed his girlfriend slowly slip away into the land of dreams. Watching Videl sleep was something that would probably never grow old. He placed a kiss on her head and wrapped his strong arm around her, pulling her in closer to his chest. The raven-haired beauty looked up at the demi-Saiyan with a gorgeous pair of cerulean eyes, a smile curling around her lips as he returned the loving stare.

There they laid for a while, though it seemed like hours. Eventually it was Gohan who broke the silence.

"Hey Videl, when was the last time you saw Erasa?" he queried.

Said girl raised her head up and then arched a brow in curiosity. "A few days ago in school," she replied, not entirely sure what the other teen was getting at. "Why?"

Gohan shook his head. "No, I don't mean that literally," he explained as he raised himself up from his horizontal position on the couch. "When was the last time that you actually hung out with her, you know, being your best friend and all?"

That was a question that really forced Videl to use her brain. It was quite a long time ago, that was for sure. Come to think of it, she had really neglected her best friend over the past few months in order to spend every waking moment with her boyfriend. Ever since she had met Gohan, her friendship with Erasa had quickly faded to the back of her mind, other things consuming her time. Suddenly feeling very guilt-ridden, the Satan girl barely managed to answer.

"I-I guess that was about... two months ago?" she said, her cheeks growing red in shame. The boy couldn't prevent a snicker and leaned over to plant a peck on Videl's cheekbones.

"See, that's exactly what I mean," he laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "I am really happy to have you by my side every hour of the day, but you shouldn't forget that there are other people who'd like to spend some time with you. Erasa has dragged you through to much to suddenly be shoved to the background, wouldn't you agree?"

She bit her rosy lower lip and cast her eyes down. "Yeah, I suppose so..."

"Well then I've got an idea," the demi-Saiyan spoke as he tightened to the loving embrace, snuggling his head into her neck. His warm breath on her skin made her shudder slightly and his hush words spoken over the lips right by her ear almost left Videl's insides weak and soggy. "You are going to call Erasa and ask her if she has any plans for tonight. If not, the two of you are going to spend the turn of the year together, out having some fun. I think you owe that much to her for sure."

The crimefighter turned around in his hold and gave him a quizzical stare. "Are you sure about that? I thought that you wanted to ring in the New Year with me."

"Oh, I do, I do," Gohan replied truthfully. "But I don't think I'll die if I can't kiss you at midnight. You would definitely make Erasa happy if you give her a call and I think that you'd enjoy seeing her again as well. And don't worry about me all that much. I wanted to go up to the Lookout and do some decent catching up with Piccolo anyway."

A smile curled around Videl's lips. "Okay, if you say so," she laughed as she crawled into his lap, meeting him face to face. "How in the world did you get to be so thoughtful?" she giggled as she draped her arms around his neck.

"I just want my Juliet to be happy," the modern day Romeo answered. "You know I would do anything to see you smile like you do now."

"Well then you did an excellent job," Videl chuckled as she brought her face in closer. "Because there isn't a Juliet in the world happier than me."

And with that she brought her face forward, softly placing her lips on his. Gohan replied to to the tender kiss and softly combed his big hand through her raven locks. The girl did the same, curling some of the boy's jet-black strands around her fingers.

The demi-Saiyan withdrew for a second, mainly to breathe, but quickly engaged the brunette into a much more passionate and loving kiss. The duo slightly fell back on the couch, Videl leaning her weight onto the other teen. A chuckle escaped Gohan before he brushed his lips against hers once more, obviously enjoying the playful endeavor.

Knowing that he was eagerly awaiting more Videl slightly parted her rosy lips and quickly sought out the boy's playful tongue. She brushed her wet muscle to his, encouraging him to kiss back. He happily obliged as he savored the taste of his girlfriend's cherry-flavored lip gloss. Videl's hands left Gohan's dark locks and used one to roam over his chest through the fabric of his button-down shirt. She could feel each individual muscle on the kid's form, every perfectly toned peck an ab. Her other hand sneakily began to pry on the boy's blouse, flicking each and every button open in an instant. In a matter of minutes, his shirt was completely open and his godly torso was revealed to Videl's mesmerized gaze.

Gohan explored the girl's curvy hips and slowly made his way upwards, hesitating when he reached the hem of her white t-shirt. Not too long ago she had stopped him when he had tried to put his hands under her tee and this made him have second thoughts about making another attempt. Sure, the first time the location hadn't exactly been ideal, but it still kept him from moving too quickly.

Careful as he was the demi-Saiyan slowly brought his hand upwards under the white fabric. He found himself surprised when Videl didn't protest this time, but instead giggled in glee, a smile curling the corners of her mouth. He gulped slightly, somewhat afraid to speak his mind at the current situation.

"A-Are you sure?"

Without uttering another word the girl crawled off of her boyfriend, confusing Gohan even more than he already was. He wanted to question her about her intentions, but was promptly hindered from doing this when she dragged him off the couch in a simple and swift motion. Grabbing the black-haired teen by his big hands she dragged him into the nearby hallway.

Gohan still had no clue as to what was going on, which wasn't strange seeing the amount of time the kid had spent around members of the other sex during his younger years. The light chuckle that escaped Videl caught him off guard and that was exactly what she wanted. Using the split second to her advantage the brunette pushed the boy against the wooden door directly behind him, his back contacting the brown hardwood with a soft giving him a single second to reply Videl stood on her toes, meeting her soulmate eye to eye. She brought her face forward, closing the gap that had been between them.

Immediately getting the message Gohan snaked an arm around the crimefighter's petite waist, holding her weight and keeping her from having to balance on the tips of her small feet. Without him knowing Videl reached out for the doorknob behind him, delighted when she heard that familiar clicking sound of the lock opening. A small disappointed groan escaped her other half when she drew her head back, which she silenced with a playful tug at his lower lip with her teeth.

Chuckling at his girlfriend's joyous behavior Gohan failed to notice the door swinging open, his main focus being the passionate play of tongues between them. Even more unexpected came the shove to his chest, causing him to release his hold on Videl and stumble backwards into his bedroom.

Looking up to see what she was planning on he immediately noticed the coy smile adorning her face, causing him to grin wickedly as well. The Satan girled quickly pulled her white t-shirt over her head and walked into the dimly lit room, swinging the door into the lock behind her.

* * *

"Hello, this is Erasa speaking," the voice of the bubbly blonde sounded through the horn. Videl heaved a sigh, somewhat fearsome over the response of her best friend. The two had barely spoken outside of school over the past few months and now she wasn't really sure how Erasa was going to take the invite.

"H-Hey, E, it's Videl here," she replied with a nearly inaudible gulp. "I-I was wondering, do you have any plans for tonight already?" She held her breath as she waited for an answer, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Oh hey, Vi!" Erasa nearly squealed in joy upon hearing the voice of the Satan girl. "It's so good to talk to you again! It's been like forever!"

Videl sighed in relief. Clearly her friend didn't any sort of grudge against her and was even overjoyed to talk to her again.

"No, I don't have any plans for tonight," Erasa continued, sounding exactly the same as Videl had always remembered. "I mean I did say yes to some cute jock that asked me to go clubbing with him but I'll just go tell him that the deal is off. I'd rather go out with you instead anyways."

Videl felt her heart rise on her best friend's kind words. A smile curled around her lips as she spoke into the horn.

"So I'll pick you up at eleven?" she suggested. "We'll take a limo and hit the clubs right after midnight."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Erasa giggled. "But I have to hang up now, I promised my mom that I would help her prepare for dinner. See you tonight!'

And with that, a monotone beep followed, informing Videl that their conversation was another tiny sigh of relief she put the horn back down on the phone. She wanted to turn around and go back to Gohan, but she was stopped when she felt two big and strong arms snake their way around her midsection.

In an instant she felt herself relax. There was nothing that could make her feel more safe than knowing that Gohan would always be there to protect her. He would never allow anything to happen to her and that made her feel secure.

"Hey you," she whispered. She immediately felt flustered, especially considering what had happened between the two of them the past few hours. Both of had agreed that the time was right to take their relationship to a higher level. It hadn't completely been like in all the romance novels that imply about 'the blending of two souls into one.' No, not that, but it sure had been the most intimate thing that she had ever experienced. And she was more than happy to have been able to share it with Gohan.

"Hey you," the other teenager replied as he placed a kiss on top of her head. "Maybe we should get dressed soon. That would look a lot better when you go to pick up Erasa."

Videl couldn't prevent a laugh from escaping. Both teens were still only half dressed; him wearing only a pair of black boxers and her clothed in nothing but underwear and one of Gohan's t-shirts. She was nearly skipping in happiness as she jerked him along to the bedroom to get dressed.

Ten minutes later the couple was soaring over countless landscapes, mountains looking about as big as Lego bricks from their point of views. Gohan had his arms wrapped around Videl firmly, keeping her in place and leaving her totally safe. The demi-Saiyan cast a glance downwards and noticed a large grey area several miles in front of them, meaning that they were about to pass over a big city. Changing course towards the skyscrapers he started his descent, making sure that they laid low and unnoticed.

"This is where I'm going to drop you off!" Gohan had to shout so the girl could hear him over the sound of the wind. "After that I'm going to see Piccolo at the Lookout!"

It was going to be hard on him for having to leave Videl's side, knowing that he would miss her instantly the moment she was out of sight. Luckily, spending some time with his former mentor would be able to ease the pain somewhat. And he hadn't seen Dende or Mr. Popo in forever either. Taking a look downwards he took in the girl's appearance one more time, as if it would be the last time that he would ever see her.

How did I deserve someone as beautiful as you...

* * *

Mr. Popo was watering a few flowers on one of the rows of green across the Lookout. Times had been very peaceful as of late, leaving the new Kami with some breathing space and Mr. Popo with some time to do his gardening. Piccolo had been around and about as well, but being the silent person that he was he never caused much ruckus.

Continuing his green handiworks Mr. Popo failed to notice the sound of two boots stepping onto the white tiles. The tall figure continued to walk up to the dark-skinned man, catching him off guard upon calling his name out loud.

"Hey Mr. Popo!" Gohan shouted from a distance. Said man nearly dropped his watering can and reached for his chest, placing a hand over his racing heart. He turned around and was greeted by a happily waving demi-Saiyan.

"Oh, Gohan," he managed to blurt out in between strained breaths. "It's you. Would you please never scare me like that ever again?"

"Haha, sorry," the boy chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck, a goofy grin across his face. "I didn't mean to. Say, did you see Piccolo around by any chance?"

"Yes, he is with Dende on the other side of the Lookout." explained the man. Gohan gave a nod in reply, followed by another quick waving gesture. After that, he walked off to go around the big white building separating him from his old mentor, thus leaving Mr. Popo to continue watering the flowers.

Just like he was told Gohan found the two Namekians on the other side of the building. As usual, Piccolo had his legs crossed and his eyes closed, as if he was in a meditative state, all while hovering in mid-air. Dende was gazing over the Earth, the always accompanied serious look in his eyes. The younger alien was the only one of the duo to look up when the demi-Saiyan's footsteps could be heard.

"Gohan!" Dende cheered when he laid eyes on his old friend. "It's been awhile since I've seen you around here!" a smile spread over the young Guardian's face as he met him halfway.

"It's great to see you again too, Dende," Gohan replied. "Did anything special happen since the last time I was up here?"

The small Namek shook his head, causing his green antennae to sway with in the motion. "No, nothing much. It's been very peaceful and quiet on Earth the last few years, so there's not a whole lot to do. I've been trying to get my powers back to fix the problem we're facing with the dragonballs, but I haven't been very successful so far."

The teenager waved off the words of worry. "Just like I told you last time: don't sweat it so much! You said it yourself; it's been peaceful the past few years, so it's not that much of a problem."

"I guess so..." The new Kami was able to brush it off with a smile. Gohan cracked a reassuring smile before walking off to who he had came to see. He halted before the man and remained silent, observing his former mentor with interest. He had never quite understood how he could always remain so calm. His own mind always seemed like a clusterfuck of thoughts, so meditating was something that seemed impossible for someone like him.

The silence continued as Gohan waited for the first sign of acknowledgement. Finally, one of the corners of his green lips curled upwards, revealing a set of pointy white teeth.

"Good day brat, it's been too long..."

* * *

Fireworks were blasting across the sky, illuminating the dark night with golden and multi-colored flowers of fire. Everyone, literally everyone, stood outside on the streets of Satan City, all celebrating the change of year. Neighbours embraced each other, both of the sides knowing that they would be ignoring one another the following day. Friends and family stood together as they watched the flying colors above their heads. Even enemies were getting along on this particular evening, mainly with the aid of a lot of alcohol.

For hours on end the crowds would party and celebrate, more than they would any time of the year. This was one of those special occasions you would allow yourself to get so hammered that waking up in the gutter the next day without pants would seem perfectly normal.

And they did, until the late morning hours. Slowly but surely the people went to their house after a long night of fun. Two young best friends were among those people. At around five o'clock in the morning, Videl and Erasa came stumbling out of a random bar in Satan City. The limousine was waiting for them and the two girls walked over quickly, both swaggering slightly due to residual traces of alcohol in their bloodstreams.

As they climbed into the oversized car the driver couldn't help but roll his eyes over the giggling of the two intoxicated teenagers. Sure, it was the New Year and people were going to get drunk, but he was the one who was going to have to drive them around. Suddenly he perfectly understood how just about every cab driver must feel on a night like this.

Videl and Erasa seated themselves on the comfortable couches in the back of the limousine, putting away their purses next to them without breaking conversation. When the engine of the car started roaring, the Satan heiress leaned over towards the driver and tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned around and looked at her from under his driver's cap.

"We have to drop Erasa off at her house first," she notified him. She was met with a nod of understanding.

"We are going to have to take a small detour, Miss Satan," he informed. "It'll take us over a small part of the highway just outside the city."

"Fine," Videl complied as she sat back down, "as long as you'll drive carefully, the roads are slippery tonight."

"But of course, Miss Satan."

Slowly the big vehicle came into motion, pulling up from the parking lot in front of the bar. Traffic wasn't really speeding along with all of the cars filled with party goers and intoxicated pedestrians, but no one was in a hurry. Videl and Erasa continued their cheerful conversation as their driver continued to steer them through the streets. After a short while all of the clubs and bars were out of sight and got replaced by countless houses and apartment buildings. Their residents had their lights on, causing the horizon to be painted with small illuminated specks.

After a while even the little lights were too far away to see properly, meaning that the limousine had just entered the highway. This gave the driver some room to speed up. Being the professional that he was he didn't fail to notice how the tires nearly seemed to glide over the tarmac roads. Just like the raven-haired girl had said the highway really was slippery. He was going to have to be extra careful.

"So how are you and Gohan holding up lately?" Erasa queried as she took a sip of the champagne she had just poured herself.

"I guess we're doing fine," Videl replied as she put her glass away. "I mean, he's probably the best thing that ever happened to me. He's sweet and thoughtful, but also really smart and he always looks out for me..."

"Sounds like a recipe for success!" the blonde girl chimed happily. "It's good to see that Videl Satan finally found herself a boy! Just between you and me, I was even beginning to have some 'doubts' about you in that field."

"How dare you?" Videl shrieked laughingly, feigning hurt. As the duo laughed they were suddenly flung back and forth through the car. They could hear the driver shout something as they were sent flying to the other side of the vehicle.

"W-What happened?" Erasa groaned as she got back up, a hand placed on her temple.

The reply came from the person behind the wheel. "The slippery roads made me lose control of the wheel," his voice was still shaky from the whole scene. "But I've got everything covered now."

"You better be sure of that." exclaimed the Satan girl. She was careful as she sat back down on the sofa, making sure to avoid the shattered fragments of champagne glasses. She was tired and wanted to get home soon, the thought of seeing Gohan again the next day making her heart rise.

More time continued to pass as they drew nearer and nearer to Erasa's house. The man with the blue cap was beginning to feel impatient on the icy roads and he wanted to get off them quickly. Luckily he knew that about a mile from now they could take a right and drive back to the outskirts of Satan City. He softly drummer his fingers on the steering wheel, a tick of him to deal with the growing feeling of anxiety in his chest.

About thirty seconds before the turn he changed lanes, knowing that it would be easier to take the right coming up. His eyes were narrowed to small slits, a look of pure concentration on his face. He could already see the fork in the road and his hands were itching to steer the vehicle in the direction of the residential area of the large city.

The turn drew in closer and closer. The driver was at one hundred percent alert as he gripped the wheel tighter. He could already feel himself relax as he turned the steer to the right and noticed the car turn in the direction he desired.

Videl and Erasa were in the middle of a conversation when suddenly the blonde was cut off in mid-sentence by a loud and terrified gasp. As the two teenagers tried to wrap their minds around the situation the wheels of the limousine lost their grip in the frozen tarmac, causing the whole block of metal the sway uncontrollably. Before they even had a chance to react they were once again flung across the car, this time to the front.

Videl could swear that the noise was absolutely deafening. The sound of metal bending under sheer force, the ringing sound of all of the glass on the limo shattering, the high pitched shriek coming over Erasa's lips. The only thing going through the girl's mind as the car slammed into the giant iron guard rail by the side of the road was an intensely sharp pain, as if someone had stabbed her with a knife to the back of the head.

The pain was so bad that it was actually blinding. She was unable to see anything. Not the blood staining her hands and face, not her best friend who had just been sitting by her side a second ago, nothing. When one final wave of pain burned through her head she blacked out, going unconscious in the remnants of the limousine.


	12. Chapter 12

**Howdy!**

**If you paid any close attention you might have noticed the tag that says "Complete". And no, that is not a joke. This is the final chapter to GE and I'm definitely not planning on doing a sequel. I felt like this story had runs it's end a few chapters back already, but I wanted to go out wit a bang, so this is the final result of whatever idea I sprouted.**

**Of course I can't go without a little shoutout to ~Kanotari. She began betaing this story from chapter 3 and onwards, and saying that she didn't do an excellent job would be a complete lie. So once again I would like to express my gratitude.**

**Also, to make up for suddenly cutting an end this fic I made the final chapter the biggest one by far. I hope you are prepared for quite a read,because this chapter has a wordcount slightly over 11.000 words.**

**Thank you to everybody who had read, reviewed, followed and favorited along the way, I am really happy with all the support I have received. I love you guys 3.**

**So now, for the final time, please Read, Review and Enjoy ^_^!**

* * *

She couldn't remember a lot of what had transpired. All she knew was that it happened so quickly that there was no way for her to wrap her mind around the whole scene. Seconds after the limousine had crashed into the sturdy and immobile guard rail, a searing hot pain had forced its way into the girl's skull, the burning sensation so incredibly intense that it had left her without sight. Videl had been sure that this was what it must feel like to die a violent death, spending the last few seconds of your existence trying to cling on to the last few remnants of life left inside your being, all the while knowing it was futile and that you would soon let out your dying breath. It had been a stare-down with the Grim Reaper himself, the God of Death coyly smiling as she struggled to hold on to her life. Even though she couldn't see it for herself, she knew that she had looked like a total mess, a crumpled little heap of limbs and broken bones. Videl knew that when she opened her eyes -if she opened her eyes- the only thing she would see would be shattered glass and twisted metal. The mere thought of that could be enough for anyone to want to stay in this feigned form of sleep forever.

"Videl?" the voice rang softly, but it was loud enough for the Satan girl to stir slightly in response. The petite crimefighter groaned when she slipped back into consciousness, having to draw every shred of energy that she had stored inside to keep herself from going out cold again. Someone was calling for her from a distance, someone who could come to rescue and save her from the smoldering wreckage that was once her limousine. Maybe it was Erasa and the ditsy blonde had come out of the crash with just a few minor bumps and scratches. Either way the voice sounded familiar, although she couldn't distinguish from where. Videl tried to open her eyes and exterminate the darkness that clouded her vision, but it seemed to be to no avail.

"Videl?" the voice called out again, this time seemingly closer than the previous. The owner was persistent, that much was for sure. If only the girl could find the same determination. The Satan heiress wanted shout at the top of her lungs, make her voice boom across the nearly desolate highway and let whoever was out there know that she was still okay, just give any sign of life to begin with.

"Videl, wake up." The voice was becoming clearer and clearer on every call. The brunette was sure that whoever had been shouting her name was close, very close. He or she was possibly standing just outside the compressed and dented heap of metal that hid her from sight. She tried to yell, but her vocal cords failed on her, producing no sound at all. There was no way that she would be able to make her presence known this way; she had to get up and climb out of the smashed vehicle herself.

Suddenly fixing her attention on not just the voice calling out to her, Videl became much more aware of her body. She was surprised, or more so dumbfounded, when she didn't feel any kind of pain on the back of her head or anywhere on her form. There was no splitting headache, and the burning sensation that had assaulted her before she passed out having ebbed away into nothingness. Now feeling more driven to get out of this situation alive, Videl opened her eyes, albeit very slightly.

It was hard to make out any details in the blur that was her line of sight. She could vaguely see the outlines of shapes, but nothing that could inform her of her surroundings. Letting out a strained grunt she forced her eyes to open wide, hoping to shed some light on the world. It took a minute before the girl's sight accustomed to the newfound rays of light falling onto her retinae, but slowly everything around her began to take form.

She was, in the least to say, stupefied. As she observed her surroundings she was almost sure that she had gone and lost her sanity. She was in a horizontal lying position, staring up at a creme-colored ceiling. As she rolled her head to the left she noticed an awfully familiar rectangular coffee table and the outdated TV set across from her rang more than a few bells. Pressing her eyes shut in several forced blinks weren't able to cast away the images in front of her.

How could this be? Moments earlier she was absolutely certain that she had been in a car crash, one that had almost killed her too. And now here she was, lying down on the green sofa that she had spent many hours on over the last few months. Videl wondered whether her mind was playing tricks on her, or if this was all just a dream, a mental image shaped by her mind to keep her from having to experience the horror that she was actually going through.

"Ah, good, you're finally awake... well, as awake as you can be at the moment, I guess."

It was that voice again, the one that had called out to her when the world around her had been nothing but a vast darkness. The one that had dragged her back into reality. Well, for as far as this could be called reality.

When she heard the delicate and soft tone of the voice Videl instantly recognized it. It was so close that it seemed like the owner nearly had his lips pressed against her ear. It was the voice that always made a soft shudder go up and down her spine upon, hearing it, leaving her insides a weak and soggy mess.

"Good day, sleepy head," the voice chimed, making Videl roll her head to uncover the source. A pair of deep onyx eyes stared back at her, a happy glimmer residing behind their soul-penetrating gaze. These were the brown orbs that had always brightened even the darkest of her dreams, the ones that made her insides swarm with butterflies and made her feel lighter than a feather. The instant that their looks crossed she felt her entire form relax, a sense of safety washing over her.

"Gohan," the teen heaved a sigh when she realized her head had been resting in the demi-Saiyan's lap. She couldn't believe it, but it was still as clear as day. She wasn't anywhere near the highway where her limo had smashed into the guardrail, nor was she anywhere close to Satan City. She was within the confines of a tiny dome-shaped building that she had gotten to know as well as her own house. Her boyfriend and soulmate was with her, his big and strong fingers softly tousling her raven locks as he gave her a loving stare. Had it all been a dream? The night out with Erasa, the crash, the searing pain in the back of her skull? Had she never left Gohan's house to begin with and had she simply lulled asleep on the couch?

"G-Gohan, w-what..." Videl shot up and sat upright on the couch. None of this made sense. Instinctively her hands reached for the back of her head, checking for any kind of wound, cut or bruise. But there was nothing, not a single bump or gash. She had expected to find her fingers sticky with crimson liquid, but there wasn't a single drop of blood to be found. It was all gone, just like the menacing pain that had assaulted her senses.

The girl wanted to be sure that her surroundings, the warm and comfortable living room, her boyfriend's loving stare, everything, was real. Breath held in anticipation she reached out, fingers trembling in anxiety over the initial touch. Hesitantly she let her fingertips graze the coffee table.

Nothing. She felt absolutely nothing. She couldn't feel the scratches and dents nor could she feel the rough wooden texture of the rectangular piece of furniture. There was no other indication that the object was even there, only her eyes being able to take it's presence into account.

Fear began to creep into her mind, slowly taking over her capability to think straight. What did this mean Where the hell was she? Was she dead, asleep, awake? Videl wanted to scream in frustration, anger stored within her caused by her sheer helplessness. Never once before in her life had she known this level of confusion. As long as the raven-haired fighter could remember, she had always been so strong and sure of herself, but now that she was in a situation where she had no clue as to what was going on, she felt like pulling her hair out at the roots. Was she going crazy?

Videl was about to snap when a pair of big and strong arms snaking their way around her waist forced her to calm down. She could feel herself come to ease when Gohan rested his head on her shoulder, his jet-black locks softly stroking her rosy cheek. Just like with the coffee table she could barely feel the boy's presence, but knowing that those beautiful dark eyes were watching her with utmost care managed to bring her into a state of tranquility.

"A-Am I...?" Her head turned, her ceruleans orbs searching for his cobalt stare. She was about to lose her calm, but when a soft smile graced the demi-Saiyan's features she managed to maintain her rest. He spoke in a silky voice, his tone hush and gentle.

"I understand your confusion," Gohan said as he searched for her hands, his fingers interlacing with hers as they met. "You're not sure whether this is real or not, or if you're even alive for that matter. Seconds ago you were at the brink of death in the wreckage of your limo and now you're here, on this couch, with me. And you're wondering how, I suppose?"

" A-Am I...?" Videl parroted her earlier exclamation, her voice still slightly trembling in the fear of the unknowing. "Am I... dead?" The mere thought made her shudder. The battle-hardened young woman didn't like to admit to it, but the fear of death was a very vivid phobia in her mind. Knowing that she might never wake up from an eternal slumber frightened her to her very core. What would her father say when he heard the news? Or Erasa? Or... she could feel her stomach drop at the thought of how Gohan would react if he found out about her passing.

"No, no you're not dead," the other teenager replied, causing the girl to heave a sigh in relief. "Let's just say that you're asleep and that you need to wake up."

Videl arched a brow at the words that passed her soulmate's lips. What did he mean by her being asleep? Was she in a coma of some sorts? And if so, how long would she be trapped in this feigned reality, how much time would it take for her to fight her way out of this everlasting dream?

"So if I'm asleep.." she murmured, the bits and pieces of information slowly processing in her mind along the way. "Then exactly why am I able to use my body on my own accord? Shouldn't I be completely powerless when it comes to how a dream turns out?"

Gohan chuckled and once again buried his head in the crevice of her neck. The soft giggles that escaped his lips chimed in the crimefighter's ear like the ringing of a bell.

"Who knows?" the demi-Saiyan whispered as he wrapped his arms around her tighter, pulling her against his chest as he did so. "When a question like that arises you might as well ask yourself why you're here, or why I'm here for that matter. All I know is that you're here with me and that I refuse to leave your side until you wake up."

A short silence fell between the couple as Videl contemplated her next move. Going by the information she'd received so far the limousine crashing into the guardrail had been nothing but real and the agonizing pain that had assaulted her form was as genuine as it could get. But here, in the comforting hold of her boyfriend's strong and protective arms, all pain had subsided and gone away, faded out of existence. Staying here in this dreamland created by her subconscious mind would mean that she would never have to feel pain again, something that seemed to draw the girl in very much. Yet, not returning to reality would mean that she would never really be able to feel Gohan's warm and loving touch. Not returning would mean that she would never see her family, friends or anything besides the confines of her boyfriend's small house. Is she hadn't been 'asleep' already, her inner turmoils would've split her head open with a proper aching. With the heave of a sigh she closed her eyes, letting the emotional weight of her decision wash over her.

"So, how am I going to do this?" she queried, catching the attention of the boy holding her. "How do I wake up and get back to the real world?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders. "It purely a matter of will. All you have to do is genuinely want to wake up, if you do that it'll be a sinch."

"But what if I don't wake up," Videl said, desperation suddenly clear in her voice. "What if I actually die?"

The sound of Gohan's voice as he spoke made her senses tingle, bringing peace and tranquility to every part of her being.

"Then I want you to remember that I'll be looking for you on the other side, whether that is the world or the living or not. I'd go as far as HFIL just to be with you."

Slowly the grip around her waist loosened, allowing Videl to step off of the couch. She cast a final glance at Gohan and a small smile curled around her pink lips. It was just unfair how amazing this boy was and how much of an improvement he had been to her life. Never once would she have thought of herself even showing interest in the other gender. At least, not until that cobalt-eyed miracle came along and threw her entire life upside down. Now she couldn't imagine herself without him.

"You really are a once in a lifetime thing, you know that?" the girl chuckled as she balanced on the balls of her feet. "You really are a modern day Romeo. I'm just lucky to be your Juliet."

She got a small grin in response. With one final look at the sole person that made her life into what it was now, Videl closed her eyes, ready to go back into the world of the living. Slowly her dream world began to crumble, the bits and pieces falling into nothingness below her feet. When all was gone, total darkness was all that remained. Sighing in anticipation she opened her eyes, ready to confront whatever the world could throw at her.

* * *

A soft and pained groan escaped her lips as she came to. It took her a few seconds to open her eyes and she only managed to squint as she did so. Her mind was hazed by her concussion, the burning pain that surged through her body seemingly forced away. Adrenaline pumped through her body on each and every panicked heartbeat. Slowly the realisation of where she was dwindled into her thoughts.

Videl was lying in the middle of the smashed limousine, bent and twisted metal keeping her confined like a compact prison. As her head cleared she could suddenly feel that agonizing pain creep through her form, sending each and every limb aflame Crimson liquid stained her face, her shirt, the inside of the vehicle, everything. She could taste the rusty flavor of her own blood in her mouth; it made her want to vomit and if she hadn't been in so much anguish she definitely would have.

With some difficulty she managed to roll her head to the side and look around inside of the destroyed car. it was not easy to make out the details of her surroundings properly, drips of blood partly concealing the world around her. She managed to make out what used to be the window, the thin and fragile material completely shattered. Fragments of glass laid scattered about, the sole rays of moonlight that managed to catch their reflection causing them to sparkle like tiny diamonds in the darkness.

The girl needed a way out, as quickly as possible. She forced her head up and turned her neck, her body very much displeased with her courageous actions. Her skull felt like it could split open at any given moment, but the fighter inside of her wouldn't let her give in to the pain. On the far left of the wrecked limo she noticed a door and she used all the willpower that she could find to move her body, the strain on her beaten physique nearly unbearable.

The adrenaline kept her body going, enabling her to drag herself forward over the length of the car. She wanted to wince in pain as the shattered glass tore open her already broken hands. A whimper escaped her, one of the first sounds she had been able to make since she had come back to consciousness. She had to pause in between her movements to keep herself from passing out again, but after several minutes she had reached the door.

Her fingers trembled as they curled around the doorframe, the shattered glass from the driver's side window digging into her flesh. Not that she felt it, though; the numbing pain that echoed throughout her entire body was so intense that it overshadowed the sharp pains. She dragged herself forward once more, satisfied to feel the cold New Years Eve breeze tickling her face when she had managed to shimmy herself free up to her waist.

Videl couldn't suppress the scream that escaped her mouth when she had to push herself forward the last two feet or so. Her aching arms were too lame to be of any proper use in this situation, and besides, there wasn't anything that she could hold on to and drag herself forward out of the vehicle. She kicked and writhed, but to no avail. But then, finally, she was able to place her foot on something solid. She wanted to cry in agony as she pushed herself off, her legs searing with white hot pain. It took more than a few pushes to get out, but after what seemed like an eternity the girl found herself out of the car and lying on the cold tarmac of Satan City Highway.

There she laid still for several seconds, her breathing heavy from the physical punishment that she had just endured. The cool air managed to clear up some of the fog in her head and allowed her to think a bit more clearly, allowing her to contemplate her next move. Knowing that she needed to go look for help she placed her palms on the road below her and began to push her weight up.

Once again she had to draw upon her willpower in order to raise herself to her feet. Videl was wobbling on her legs like a drunk, but she managed to stay footed and focus her gaze on her surroundings.

The mere sight of it drew the girl's breath away. The once luxurious limousine had smashed head-first into the mighty strong guardrail, crumpling the entire hood of the car and pressing it together like a sandwich. It had then rebounded off of the thick layer of iron, swirling back onto the road before flipping over upside down and remaining still. It had resulted in the total destruction of the vehicle, the thing being nearly unrecognizable. Small trails of smoke whirled upwards into the dark night sky from under what had once been the hood of the limo.

It was hard to tear her gaze away from the terrifying sight before her, but Videl forced herself to look around on the empty highway. The long tarmac roads were desolate, not a driver in sight. The road seemed endless, like a big black snake slithering forward endlessly. It was almost dead silent around her, only the car radio, which had survived the crash for some miraculous reason, produced sounds for her to hear.

"And the roads seem to be surprisingly quiet this New Year's Eve, Bill..."

_Tell me about it..._ Videl scoffed mentally at the pure irony.

She began to lose whatever kind of calm she had and began breathing heavily and strained, big plumes of condensation leaving her mouth on every exhale. Pain shot through her right side and it was suddenly extremely evident to her that her ribs had been broken severely. The cold air on her bare skin made Videl feel weak and fragile.

With grunts to suppress the hurt from using her legs the battle-hardened fighter dragged herself around the car in the search for her fellow travellers that night. She leaned her weight onto her limo as she forced herself to keep stepping around the car, moving away from the driver's side and walking around its rear. What she saw when she came around to the passenger's side made her want to shriek in terror.

From in between the twisted metal Videl saw an arm extending, an arm she was all too familiar with. She could already tell by the golden bracelet around the girl's wrist. Erasa was still trapped inside of the limo and she wasn't moving, at all. Videl whimpered in fright as she continued to walk forward, checking to see if her best friend was alive. Halting by where the blonde's arm was sticking out of the wreckage she peeked inside the remnants of the limousine, noticing Erasa's beaten form sitting in the midst of the rumble, slumped down and either dead or knocked unconscious.

The raven-haired teenager gave a slight tug on the blonde's arm in an attempt to get her to, fearing for the worst and that her best friend would never be able to annoy her with juicy gossip anymore. The thought of losing Erasa forever scared the hell out of her and brought her to shake the other teen's arm more forcefully, but getting no sign of life in return.

Her stomach dropped as desperation clutched a hold around her throat. The other girl didn't respond to her attempts of waking her up and hope was starting to seem very bleak right about now. She had to fight back the tears and her voice quaked as she spoke, her throat nearly killing her in the process.

"E-Erasa, wake up, please..." Videl managed to say as she tugged at her friend's arm once more. "Please E, I need you! Don't die on me!"

Salty tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes when Erasa didn't respond. Devastated, the girl began to bawl and cry uncontrollably, broken over the loss of her best friend. She could swear that she heard the drops falling down by her feet, but it could've been blood as well. Not that it mattered. The only thing on her mind right now was how Erasa and how she would never be able to talk to her again.

Videl was about to collapse when she heard a very faint groan coming from within the wreckage. Her crying stubbed abruptly, her head turning towards the source. If she hadn't been looking closely she would've missed it; the blonde's hand slightly twitched, causing the crimefighter to squeak in happiness. Even though Erasa was in bad shape, she was still alive! And now it was up to Videl to get help and save her life.

Her gaze darted around, looking for anything that could help her on her way. Judging by how desolate and empty the roads were a car passing by would seem highly unlikely. But then, on the other side of the highway behind the guardrail she found something that could be her lucky call, literally.

An emergency phone in case of traffic accidents stood only about sixty feet from her. Suddenly feeling hope well up inside of her chest, Videl gritted her teeth and began stumbling towards the phone. With every step that she took, the pain that seared through her form began to get worse. She was only about ten feet away from the phone right now and she had about fifty more to go, but her legs felt like they were about to fall off, the hurt nearly unbearable. Forcing herself wouldn't do the trick, so her mind began to look for other solutions to the problem, but it was to no avail.

_Oh, if only Gohan was here..._

When the thought of the demi-Saiyan flashed through her mind Videl suddenly felt the drive to continue walking and reach the phone. If she didn't pull through now, it would mean that she would never get to see that goofy smile of his ever again, and that was something that she just couldn't permit herself. With renewed spirit she stumbled forward, ignoring the pain of her fractured leg. With only forty more feet to go she seemed determined to get out of this situation, forcing herself through even the most agonizing pain possible.

Her legs began tremble beneath her, the fractures in her legs splitting open further and further every time the girl leaned her weight onto them. No, she wouldn't give in! She was going to do this and save herself and her best friend! She wasn't going to let the Grim Reaper win their game of tag so easily, not without a proper fight!

_Only thirty more feet to go..._

Suddenly a pain so intense that Videl had to scream in sheer agony shot through her legs. Her fractured shins gave out, splintering the chalky white bones and leaving the girl unable to stay on her feet. She collapsed, her head banging down on the tarmac as she hit the ground. All power had left her body, pain being the only thing that she could still feel. All she could do was lay there, hoping that someone would find her and get her to help.

Slowly, very slowly the seconds began to creep by. In the haze that the pain brought to her mind Videl could distinguish the ruse coming from the city in the distance, the city with her name on it not to forget. She couldn't help but wonder how the people that glorified her and were proud to call themselves citizens of Satan City would react if they knew that their hero was lying in the middle of the road, beaten and battered.

The seconds turned into minutes, or at least so it felt. All sense of time was gone and all that Videl could do was stare up at the polluted skies. Why she liked gazing at them so much was beyond her though.

Then, a very soft humming noise reached the girl's ears. It was like an almost mute little rumble that was slowly making its way into her direction. Once more she could feel that glimmer of hope inside of her chest light up. Maybe this meant that help was on the way. She rolled her head to the side, checking for any oncoming cars.

Two tiny specks of light fell onto her retinae, the vehicle they belonged to very much in the distance. A smile curled around Videl's lips. The driver was certain to see her and stop to call for help, she just knew it. Now all she could do was watch as the motorized vehicle came closer and closer.

The humming sound turned into a very deep roaring of an engine. It couldn't be a sports car coming towards her; those didn't sound like this one. No, a very, very big car was coming towards her. Within seconds she could see the outlines of the truck racing at her. Her heart began to pound in her chest since. She wasn't able to move and there was no possibility that she would be able to signal the driver.

_Maybe he won't see me..._

Fear gripped her throat as the gigantic truck stormed at her with tremendous speed. There were no signs that the truck was going to stop for anybody, and Videl could see her life flash before her eyes as the bright headlights came closer and closer.

For one final time, she managed to raise her head up, staring dead blank into the headlights of the monstrous truck. When she looked upwards, the last thing she saw was the terrified expression on the face of the driver as he belatedly realized what was going on and slammed on the brakes.

And then the little speck of light that had been Videl Satan's energy suddenly vanished out of existence...

* * *

Gohan stood at the edge of the Lookout, blankly gazing over the thick layer of clouds several miles beneath. He was completely silent, not even a breath was drawn. He wasn't responsive to anything anymore. Not to the soft breeze that tousled his mahogany hair and not to the Guardian's callings for his attention. Only one thing managed to occupy him now and Dende had nothing to do with that.

_No... It can't be..._

The reality around the demi-Saiyan began to blur away, the feeling of his stomach dropping being all that he could feel. He couldn't believe it and he wouldn't, it wasn't true, it couldn't be...

_Please... No..._

Moments ago he had been tranquil and at peace, happily chatting with his old mentor Piccolo, and now all sense of reality was lost to him. Literally mere seconds ago the teen had been catching up with the Namekian, keeping a steady feel on Videl's Ki signal. During the discussion of Piccolo's new training regime, that little blinking light that was his girlfriend's life force had suddenly gone out, gone and never to be seen again.

His whole world had ended then and there. Where would he be without the comforting embrace of his girlfriend, the loving hold that had managed to keep him standing through the toughest of times? How could he go on when the sole person that had been able to drag him from the dark abyss of depression was dead?

His knees began to shake and he simply wanted to collapse, roll up in a little ball of sorrow and despair, but something wouldn't let him and kept him standing on his legs. A haze began to drift through his mind, shutting off his capability to think and blurring his already blank stare. Anxiety gripped him around the throat in a menacing chokehold, causing him to suck air into his lungs for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

The fear that had taken a hold of Gohan brought the boy to hyperventilate, his breaths short and panicked. His legs wobbled as he turned around to face the two Namekians behind him, enabling both the New Kami as well as the old one to look at his pale features. Both drew their breath short and Dende immediately ran over towards his friend, who stirred at the shouting of his name.

"Gohan!" the young alien yelled as he sprinted at the demi-Saiyan, halting dead in his tracks the moment he was by said teenager's side. "What's the matter, Gohan, are you feeling alright?"

The hybrid didn't reply, causing Dende and Piccolo to look at each other in worry. Instead, Gohan took a step, the movement lame and as if in slow-motion. His entire form trembled as he took another, causing him to swagger dangerously on his feet. The two onlookers watched in astonishment as his mouth opened, only a faint rasping noise leaving his throat.

Suddenly,without warning, he collapsed to the white tiles below, his knees hitting the granite with a thud. The expression on his face looked shifted from it's original empty gaze to one of sheer agony, his dark eyes closed and his teeth clenched. This didn't go unnoticed by the young warrior's former mentor, who immediately shot out of his meditational position and found himself by Gohan's side in the fraction of a millisecond.

"What's the matter, kid?" Piccolo parroted Dende's earlier question as he rested a big green hand on his proteges quaking shoulder. "Snap out of it, will ya!"

Neither one of the two Namekians had any clue as to what was going on. Mere moments ago Gohan had been just fine. And then suddenly, out of the blue he had bolted for the edge of the Lookout without uttering a single word. After that he had collapsed for no apparent reason. The numbers just didn't add up in their minds and there was no way to understand the situation if Gohan wouldn't reply to cries.

Both aliens jumped back startled when the boy suddenly balled his hands to fists, fingernails digging into flesh as he drew his arm back. A loud cry left his lips as he slammed down into the white tiles, the granite splitting below his knuckles on impact.

"NO!" he screamed, the first word he had managed to produce before his sudden black-out. He hit the floor again, a thunderous boom surging through the air as his fist made contact again.

"NO!" Gohan screamed in anguish once again, the skin on his knuckles splitting open as he pounded again and again. "NO! IT ISN'T TRUE! IT CAN'T BE!"

Piccolo and Dende stood as if nailed to the floor while the boy slammed his boiling rage and sadness away into the earth, not even aware of his blood staining the soil below. Neither one of the two knew what to do or even how to respond. What wasn't true; what couldn't be? They continued to watch in awe as now two fists were raised up into the sky, rocketing downwards and crashing down with a tremor. From the looks of it the Saiyan wasn't going to stop until his hands were beaten to a bloody pulp, every hit accompanied by a primal roar.

Once more more Gohan balled his hands and hit the ground. Then, he remained still, nose pointing downwards and his fists still limply lying on the shattered white tiles. Dende took a step forward, his movements slow in hesitation. When he noticed the older Namekian give him a disapproving frown he quickly stepped back, giving the teen's life-long friend a chance to approach him.

The trembling boy slowly raised his head as the sound of a cape fluttering in the wind reached his ears, quickly averting his gaze as he saw Piccolo walking towards him. He didn't want the man who he had idolized all of his life see him like this, a shaken and distraught mess of a human being. He would think of him as weak and an unworthy fighter, a disgrace to the Z-warriors and all of their affiliates.

"So, kid," the spawn of the Demon King began in his trademarked deep voice. "Are you ready to talk now or are you going to keep lying there crying like a baby? Spill the beans and tell us what's the problem already."

Gohan clenched his teeth at the remark. He wanted to stop his emotional outburst, but it was simply no good. he turned his head to look at his old teacher, who stood there with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, as he always did. Yet, upon hearing a sob emanating from the boy that he had came to love like his own son, Piccolo's eyes opened wide, their pupils dilated in shock.

The last time he had heard the teenager cry was when the kid had lost his father in the fight with Cell. From then on Gohan had managed to keep himself strong to the untrained eye, but to the Namek it had always been as clear as day that he was on the verge of breaking point. No matter how strong of a façade he had managed to keep up, whenever Piccolo looked into those cobalt eyes he saw nothing of that glint of happiness that had once resided in their gaze, only sorrow, grief and guilt. It pained him to see a stray tear welling up in the demi-Saiyan's eye, the salty drop rolling over his features and falling off of his chin with a dripping sound.

"I-I-I-It's... I-It's..." Gohan managed to mumble in between short drawn breaths. M-My fault... I s-s-shouldn't have left her unguarded..."

"Who?" Dende queried, already relieved that his friend was talking again. "That girl that you've been seeing? Videl... that's the name, right?"

Gohan wanted to break down again at the mere mention of the name, his chest so heavy that it felt like someone had put a block of concrete on it. But somehow he managed to hold himself together, giving the younger Namekian a small nod in reply.

"Well," Piccolo almost demanded, eager to find out what was bugging the demi-Saiyan. "What of it? Did she break up with you or something?"

Even though it took him all of the energy that he could muster, Gohan shook his head, wiping away a few of the tears that stained his cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak, another sob leaving him before he could begin to form the words.

"No.. s-she's..." he spoke with quaking voice. He almost couldn't bear to finish his sentence. "S-She's dead..."

What were sobs and whines at one point now turned into downright bawling. Gohan's cries of agony were the only sound that was audible across the Lookout, the sheer pain in their tone obvious to even someone as emotionally impaired as Piccolo. The tears began to flow freely, the liquified drops of sorrow falling to the ground, their dripping resembling the sound of rain as the splattered the white tiles. The boy kept accusing himself of his girlfriend's death, the feeling of guilt gnawing at his conscience like a rabid dog devouring a big juicy steak.

"And it's all my fault..."

"What the hell are you blabbing about, brat?" Piccolo tried to coat his voice in a cloak of anger, hoping that Gohan wouldn't notice exactly how distraught he was. Dende picked up on this and pulled his face into a serious expression, trying his best not to let his mask of confidence crackle and crumble away and show his fright for could possibly ensue. He had seen how Gohan could become when his emotions took control of him up close and it was in the least to say, terrifying.

"There was no way that you could've possibly seen this coming, so how exactly is this your fault?"

The boy he had addressed didn't open his eyes. His knuckles cracked as he once again balled his fists in anger. Anger towards himself for leaving Videl unguarded. Anger towards fate for once again leaving him with absolutely nothing. Anger towards the world for always looking down on him and spitting him out over and over again.

"I should've been watching her," Gohan cried as teardrops continued to leak from the corners of his eyes. 'I never should've left my eye off of her! She's too fragile to be left unguarded..."

"But Gohan, you can't always be around to protect everybody," Dende intervened. The Guardian had been listening to his best friend's emotional outburst in desperation. He wanted to tell the demi-Saiyan that it was all okay, that it would all be alright, but Dende himself knew that it would be a lie. As Guardian of the Earth he had to know everything about the planet and the human race. He possessed knowledge that would turn Gohan into more than a mess that he already was and that was something he wanted to avoid at all cost. "There was nothing that you could've done to prevent this. I understand that you are devastated, but there is no need to make yourself feel guilty or blame yourself in any way."

The teen's eyes opened to slits when he heard the voice of the young Namekian. He had completely forgotten that Dende was even there, the sadness in his heart blocking out his surroundings entirely. A glimmer of hope began to rise in his ches. Dede was the Guardian of the Earth, maybe he would able to help him get Videl back.

"Dende..." Gohan sobbed, clutching the Guardian's robe with quivering hands. "You can help me, right? We can gather the Dragonballs to summon Shenron, right? Please tell me that we can bring her back! If she's dead forever, I wouldn't know how to live with the pain..."

When Dende didn't reply immediately the Saiyan looked in, desperation clear in his expression. The Namekian tried to avoid his gaze to the best of his ability, green fingers tightly clutching the old Kami's cane. Gohan shook at Dende's leg, trying to get any kind of response out of him.

"Dende please..." Gohan begged, burying his face in said Namek's robe, staining the fabric with salty liquid. Dende didn't dare breath as he listened to the Son boy's desperate pleas. This was the question that he had been dreading all of this time. He pressed his eyes shut as he answered, fearing to look at the hybrid's response.

"G-Gohan, I'm so sorry, but...' he swallowed twice before he was able to summon the courage to continue. He wanted to cry over having to tell his friend something so incredibly devastating, but he bit down on his teeth and pulled through. "...the Dragonballs were used only four months ago to restore damage done by a wave of natural disasters. The will be petrified for eight more months before they can be used."

Dende could feel the clutching fingers around his robe starting to let loose, bringing him to take a step back from the quaking form that was Son Gohan. He could feel the wood in the old cane starting to splinter under his fingers as he gripped tighter. His vocal cords were nearly petrified and he had to force the words over his lips.

"And that's not all..." He had to swallow the huge lump in his throat and take a deep breath to calm himself down. Dende turned his head away from his friend in fear of Gohan's response.

"Y-You know that as the Earth's Guardian I have to possess knowledge on all of it's inhabitants, right? Well, I know that when Vegeta first landed on Earth that big guy Nappa blew up North City. I'm so sorry Gohan... Videl was shopping with her mother in North City at the time and she died in the blast. And with my weakened powers..."

Piccolo came to hover besides his fellow Namekian, resting a hand Dende's shoulder. Gohan fell completely silent, not even drawing a breath as he soaked up the information he'd just received. The harsh reality hit him like a boulder to the face. Videl was dead and there was absolutely no way of bringing her back. The boy honestly felt like dying himself as the realization sank in. Never would he be able to hold her close against him at night and play with her raven locks while he talked sweet words into her ears. Never again could he see her pretty smile or kiss her soft rosy lips with his. Never again would be be able to hold his breath as he laid eyes on her mesmerizing features.

Gohan wasn't even aware of his own body as he rose to his feet. His vision blocked out the two aliens standing a few feet away from his, a mental image of Videl being the only thing he could see. The girl was smiling at him widely and her arms were extended to catch him in a loving embrace. He stepped forward to reach out but the minute he lifted a quivering hand the image faded away into nothingness, leaving him blankly staring into the blue skies above.

This pain... it was awful. It was unlike any pain that he had ever felt before. Not once before had something weighed down so heavily on his heart. His chest felt as if the pounding muscle inside could explode at any given second. No, this feeling of hurt was so excruciating that every shred of will left to live had evaporated instantly.

When his father had died, he had been devastated. The loss of a parent was about the most traumatizing that an eleven year old could have happen to him. What was even worse that it hadn't been the first time that he had seen his personal hero succomb in the heat of battle. When Goku had passed away and had chosen to remain dead he had been a complete mess for almost a whole year, feeling like there was no way out of the misery he was in. But when Goten was born everything changed for him. A sparkle of hope had been lit inside of him and suddenly he had found the will to continue and pull himself together. He had to be there for his sibling and his mother.

For several years everything seemed to go well for him. He was happy, or at least that's what he believed. Maybe he was just forcefully suppressing the grief and guilt that his father's death had caused, but it seemed to work nonetheless. The day that his little brother first opened his tiny cobalt orbs to the light of day a smile once again graced his features for the first time in nine months. Having the little infant fall asleep while he cradled him as if he were his own son finally gave his life a purpose, something that was worth living for.

As the years crept by and the Earth remained tranquil all had been good within the family of three. Slowly but surely the pain that had held him in a chokehold had subsided and had almost faded out of existence entirely. With every new day that the sun shone it's bright light over the planet Gohan was feeling more and more certain that his life was now complete. With his friends and family around him the sorrow had been replaced by bliss, bliss that seemed like it would never go away.

But it did. In hindsight the teenager had concluded that someone or something just wouldn't allow him to be happy. He didn't know if it was fate, some sort of all-mighty creator or maybe just an unfortunate chain of events, but feeling content with his life was something that just didn't seem cut out for him.

Just as quick as the joy had returned to him it had been ripped away as well. No, not just ripped away, it had been torn off violently and thrown to the dust and spat on. When his mother had grown ill, Gohan had done his best to stay positive at first. He had been a crying emotional mess for the better part of his life and he wasn't planning on showing any signs of weakness now, especially not when he had a sibling that relied on him as well. Like a true fighter he bit back the tears day in and day as as he cared for Chi-Chi and took over all the household work, trying his best not to let his despair crackle through his mask of feigned confidence. Even when his mother's situation deteriorated he wouldn't allow himself to slip away into depression once again, he just couldn't.

And then the woman who had cared for him and raised him passed away, with him holding her frail and bony hands until the very last moment. The second that he heard the heart monitor flatline his whole world collapsed around him. Only the monotonous beep that administered the rhythm of Chi-Chi's nonexistent heartbeat reached his ears, its wailing tone accurately matching his heartbroken cries. That big and sturdy wall of a façade that he had built over the years crumbled away at the edges. The mere thought of a smile crossing his face ever again seemed impossible, nonexistent, a madman's fantasy. And when his little brother was taken away from him the light at the end of the tunnel had phased out completely. That tiny little speck of hope that had still been somewhere along his horizon had disappeared, leaving him shrouded in what seemed like an eternal darkness.

If somebody had told Gohan that there was always sunshine after rain two years ago, he never would have believed them. The boy would've merely scoffed at the idea before slumping his shoulders once again and hanging his head in sorrow. Him, happy? What a joke! This mindset would linger with the teenager for several years, eating away at his conscious day in and day out. The blackness in his head continued to expand with each passing moment and slowly but surely tore apart every little bit that was left of who was once known as Son Gohan.

But then, on that fateful day only a few months ago, everything had changed for the demi-Saiyan. If he hadn't been in the Satan City library at that exact moment who could tell in what state he would be in, or rather, he would still be in. It was still freshly engraved into his memory, like how a wound sustained in battle left behind a scar; it couldn't and never would be erased.

Just like on any other Saturday Gohan had gone to the library in the hope of finding some proper distraction, a few hours to himself and away from his tormenting thoughts. He could remember everything; the soft muted sound of his feet shuffling over the rug, the cold touch of the steel bookshelves, and even the faint musky smell of the old and neatly aligned paperbacks. What he had believed would be yet another rerun of the previous Saturday turned out to be the best afternoon of his entire life.

When the teen had walked into the section of the library specially designed for youths, he had first laid eyes on her. Videl Satan was sitting in a chair reading a book, and in all honesty it was the most mesmerizing and breathtaking sight that he had ever seen. He was nearly hypnotized as he watched the girl's cerulean eyes scan the dusty old pages of Charles Dicken's 'Great Expectations', her slender fingers flicking the pages once every so often. After what seemed like an eternity he had finally been able to muster up some courage and walk over to her, asking the Satan heiress if he could join her at the table.

He had been certain that he had made an ass out of himself, given the way he mumbled and stuttered several times in one simple sentence. He couldn't even find the nerve to look her in the eyes as she observed him, but he was happy that he could heave a relieved sigh when she had agreed without any signs of hesitation. Although Gohan wasn't even aware of it, that had been the first time in months that an actual and genuine smile had graced his features.

And now that smile was gone forever, only a pain unlike anything he had ever felt before remaining expressed on his face. Out of all the hurt that he had endured in his life, this was by far the very worst. Where was the point in continuing when everybody that he had held dear had died or had been ripped away from him mercilessly? In Gohan's mind the only that could relieve the ache was the sweet and gentle embrace of death, a soft brush over his cheek by the Grim Reaper.

Piccolo watched in silence as the boy he saw as his own son rubbed his face with his palm, wiping away a stray tear from his soaked cheeks. The Namekian had a deep frown etched into his features and his arms were crossed. To Dende it was clear that the man was having a tough time seeing Gohan like this and that his desire to act upon his emotions was burning like a wildfire. Yet the young Guardian nearly had a heart attack when Piccolo let his deep voice boom across the giant platform in the skies.

"Gohan!" Piccolo called, effectively grasping the attention of the teenager, causing him to turn around. "Pull yourself together right now! I understand what you're going through and I know that it must be hard on you, bu-"

"DO YOU?" said boy thundered in reply before his mentor could even finish his sentence. "DO YOU REALLY?"

Both Namekians gulped and drew a step back as they took in the intensity of their friend's sudden outburst. The look on his face had shifted from one of pure agony to one of complete and total rage before either one of them had chance to blink. The teenager stood with his arms by his side, a trickle of blood seeping from in between his fingers as he dug his nails into his palms with great force.

"You know what I feel like? Don't make me laugh!" Gohan cried out mockingly. "Since when does the most emotionally impaired alien in existence know what I feel like? Are you telling me that you also just lost the love of you life, Piccolo? Did you go through the most devastating moment in your entire live as well? Did your father die right before your eyes, twice, just like me?"

"G-Gohan... I..." Piccolo tried to console the demi-Saiyan to no avail. He noticed the veins in the Saiyan's temple swelling with the seconds that passed and with every breath that Gohan took his entire body began quaking more violently. Judging by the boy's outbursts in the past the old Kami was afraid that he could snap and succomb to his rage at any given moment.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE EVERYBODY THAT YOU LOVE AND HOLD DEAR DIE AND GET RIPPED AWAY FROM YOU, TO FEEL THE URGE TO LIVE SLIP AWAY FURTHER WITH EVERY DAY THAT COMES?"

"Gohan!" Dende suddenly yelled out of the blue. His pointy teeth were gritting as he clenched his jaws, eyes cast downward to the tiles below. "You're not being fair! Piccolo and I both know that you must feel devastated right now but that's no excuse to go on a rampage like that! Piccolo did absolutely nothing wrong and you really should know better!"

The demi-Saiyan idly stood by as his lifelong friend berated him for his sudden outburst, mouth still agape in what had been a scream to come. Slowly the words sank into his brain and were processed into his mind, causing him to him to hang his head in shame. Dende was right. He shouldn't be yelling at the man he loved as his own father, he wasn't the cause of his own misery and it was unfair of him to accuse him of such a thing. Maybe Piccolo and Dende weren't able to take away his grief and sorrow, but it was uncalled for to blame them for that. If he wanted his pain to go away he had to act upon it himself and do something about it without anyone's assistance.

"I- I'm sorry..." Gohan apologized without looking either one of the two Namekians in the eye. "I shouldn't have acted like that; it was totally uncalled for. It's just that I didn't know what to do and I took it out on you."

"No worries kid," Piccolo grinned widely. "We all get a little pissed sometimes. I take it that you know what to do now?"

That would be the last time that Piccolo would ever see the boy's lips curl in a tiny yet genuine smile.

"Yeah, I do," Gohan said as he took a step back. "It's clear to me how I can get rid of all this pain and suffering." he turned around, turning his back towards the two others in his company. "So that means that I have to bid you farewell now."

Piccolo's expression didn't change as he took the teenager's words into account. Instead, his grin grew wider slightly as he gave a nod of understanding.

"Goodbye brat, do what you have to do. I hope to see you again soon."

Gohan nodded in reply and gave a quick wave, barely paying any attention to the horrified look on Dende's face. Then he blasted off into the air, disappearing out of sight in a matter of seconds, only leaving behind a wavering thin tail of puffy clouds.

The young Guardian was absolutely baffled as he turned towards his fellow Namek, mouth ajaw in pure amazement. He hadn't even noticed how he had dropped the old Kami's cane until he heard the piece of wood clatter against the ceramic tiles of the Lookout.

"P-Piccolo... he isn't going to..." Dende mumbled, unable to believe what Gohan was planning on. "Or is he..."

The spawn of the Demon King could only nod in reply, words not being able to pass his throat as the sheer emotion prevented them from passing his lips. The smile never left his face as a single tear rolled down the man's cheek and off of his chin, falling to the ground below with a soft drip.

_Farewell Gohan, it's been great having you, my son..._

* * *

Gohan's mind was blank as he continued to soar higher and higher into the skies, leaving even the thick layer of clouds far below him as he ascended to greater heights. He didn't want to think about his decision too much for he feared that it would cloud his judgement. What he was about to do just felt like the best solution.

Within seconds he was just outside the Earth's orbit and he couldn't help but thank his Saiyan genes for allowing him to breathe in the vacuum of space. The further he flew away from the planet that he called home the more he decreased his speed, finally coming to a halt when he could see the globe in its entirety.

This should be more than far enough...

The boy took a minute to observe the dirtball before him. He couldn't deny that Earth was an absolutely beautiful place, with its deep blue seas and green continents. It was even more mesmerizing than the satellite photos he had always studied when he was just a little kid. He sure was going to miss this place, but there was no time for feeling sorry now.

He could feel a certain warmth spread through his body as the small rivers of Ki inside him began to flow, fueling every single one of his cells with unimaginable power. His entire form was tingling just from the feel of it and somehow it felt just right, like his body had been made just for this moment.

While the demi-Saiyan charged himself he opened his mouth and began his own private monologue. Nobody would be there to hear his words, but that didn't matter to him. He just wanted to get the weight off of his chest. As the pressure in his body continued to rise he addressed the one person that he had come to love over the past few months, feeling like she was the only one worthy of listening to his final sentences.

"Videl..." Gohan began as yet another pulse of Ki flowed through him. "I'm not sure if you can hear me now, but I feel like I have to say this anyway."

He heaved a deep sigh before continuing.

"I suppose that I want to thank you, I guess. I want to thank you for coming into my life and giving me a reason to live. Who knows where I would've been now if it hadn't been for you. I can only assume that I would still be huddled in the corner inside my bedroom like a big ball of tears and sorrow. But thanks to you I actually found the will to pick myself up and make something of myself."

He could feel the tears begin to well up behind his eyes and he didn't even feel the urge to bite them back, letting them run free and cloud his vision as they began to trickle from the corners of his eyes.

"Before I met you there was absolutely no meaning to whatever I did, if I even did anything to begin with. I felt alone, abandoned, like the world had turned its back on me and that there was nobody to love me and tell me that everything was going to be okay. For years I stayed away from people because I was afraid that I would end up being hurt like always. I couldn't even find the courage to leave my house for more than just doing the groceries. It's kind of saddening when you think about it."

A slight grin crept over his face at the thought of it, his body slightly trembling as more and more Ki forced it's way through his physique.

"Eventually I made the decision to go to school, but not of my own accord. It's because my mother would've wanted to see me become a scholar that I actually went, but it didn't change my situation in the slightest. I honestly felt like just ending it all more and more every single day. Nobody was able to get to me and tell me that there was so much more to live for. I simply wouldn't listen to them as they tried to help me."

A tear left the corner of his eye and slowly rolled down over his cheekbone, shimmer brightly in the light of the sun.

"But that all changed the day I met you," Gohan said as he reminisced about that fateful day. "There you were, just some girl sitting in the library. I was immediately captivated merely by the sight of you. You were so incredibly beautiful as you were sitting there reading "Great Expectations", it was just ridiculous. Who would've thought that you were going to be the one to turn my life upside down and actually shine some light into the darkness that I was living in? Never once would I have thought that a girl I met just a few months ago would be able to turn my whole situation around."

His body began to feel strained by the excessive energy, but it didn't prevent him from going on with his monologue. It wouldn't take long before he would be unable to handle the pressure, but that still didn't stop him.

"You were the one to show me that there is always a reason to go on. You were the one that taught me how to cope with the loss of my loved ones and losing my little brother. It's impossible for me to express just how thankful I am for that, but I think that you know that. Without your help I would be nothing."

Gohan's body felt like he was just seconds away from bursting as the energy in his cells began pushing him to his very limits. His voice was incredibly strained as he talked, but he managed to push through.

"It's kind of strange when you think about it. We met through our love of literature, and just like we joked before, our love turned out to be some weird and twisted kind of Romeo and Juliet's tale. I was the emotionally damaged Romeo and you were the Juliet that picked up the pieces and tried her best to glue the whole thing together. No matter how hopeless our situation would've looked to the outside world, you never gave up on me and you've always been there when I needed you. And I didn't even have to ask you for anything, you just went with what you deemed best and did whatever you thought would be best for me. "

The teen could feel the tear roll down further, staining his cheek along the way.

"Well let me tell you something," he grinned. "Juliet's got nothing on my Videl Satan. You were everything I could ever dream of and more. You were more radiant than the sun and not even the most romantic of characters could even begin to hold a candle to you. So when you died I honestly felt like the entire world had collapsed right then and there. That shimmer of light that illuminated my darkness was suddenly gone, just like my will to continue."

That same tear fell off of Gohan's chin, slowly descending downwards, only to never reach the Earth below. In the last few seconds before his body caved in to the pressure he spoke his final words.

"And just like how a proper Romeo should I can't stand to be without my Juliet. If I can't hold you in my arms, then there is no reason for me to go on with this life."

The few people that actually roamed the streets at this time of night would never know where the sudden flash of light that lit up the skies came from. Never would they know that Son Gohan's life had ended right then and there and never would they be able to hear his final words fade away into nothingness.

_Wait for me, Videl. I'll be with you soon, my sweet, sweet Juliet..._


	13. Epilogue

Yes, you've seen it correctly, this is an actual epilogue to Great Expectations.

No, it is not about Gohan and Videl meeting up in Heaven/Otherworld, so if you were expecting that tough luck. the explanation as to why I wrote this will be at the bottom.

Now please Read, Review and Enjoy!

* * *

The clouds were grey and cluttered the skies, preventing the sun to shine down and leaving the 439 Mountain Area in a grim semi-darkness, eerily reflecting the somber atmosphere that could be felt by the entire funeral party. Silence prevailed in the great grassy fields behind a tiny dome-shaped house in the middle of the mountain clearing. The numbers were few, but every single soul had its reason to be present.

After the news had come out that Videl Satan had passed away due to a traffic accident the world had gone into a state of shock. Every inhabitant of the planet dwindled into a state of mourning, the masses weeping over the loss of their heroine. As millions and millions of people paid their respects the Satan girl had been brought to her final resting place, on the graveyard that bared her last name only five days after her passing.

Her father had been absolutely devastated. The newspapers would write the next day on how the once so great and strong Hercule stood by her open grave, big tears rolling down his cheeks and into his black moustache. The man had cracked at the hands of his own sorrows and had thrown himself onto her coffin, begging to the Kamis themselves to give him his daughter back.

While the whole world was fixated on the death of one of their heroes there was a select group of people that mourned the loss of someone else, someone close to them, someone they had loved unconditionally and each for his or her own reasons. The public only knew this young man as Videl Satan's possible love interest, an unknown face suddenly appearing at the arm of a public figure. But only the group that had gathered in the backyard of his maternal home knew that he had died that night, along with the girl that he loved more than the entire world.

Everybody that had ever been close to Son Gohan had gathered on this grim day to pay their respects to the boy the loved and dearly missed. Bulma was the first to arrive. The blue-haired genius was already drying her cheeks with a handkerchief as she exited her jetplane, a grumbling Vegeta keeping her arm hooked in his. Bulma had come to say goodbye to the kid that she had seen grow up and had come to love just as much as her own kin, the little purple-haired Trunks slouching behind his parents as they walked to the back of the house. Vegeta had come along to pay his respects to the demi-Saiyan that he had came to see as a worthy adversary and a true Saiyan warrior. It was one of the first times that the Prince actually felt grief over losing a comrade, even if that comrade hadn't fallen on the battlefield.

Piccolo had also come early. The Namekian's feet touched ground only a few yards the Briefs family, only giving a small and silent nod in a way of greeting. Vegeta had mimicked this action and Bulma had replied by looking up from her handkerchief and cracking a weak smile.

Piccolo didn't feel like speaking, to anyone. Even while he fully understood why Gohan had decided to end his life it still hurt him to know that the boy that he had practically raised was no longer amongst them. That particular day one week before the son of the Demon King had not only lost his former pupil, but also his son. And while he had never really been one to speak up he now preferred to mourn in silence more than ever.

As time crept by more clouds began to pack over the heads of the funeral party, the prospect of rain seemingly being of no bother to anyone. Over the course of the afternoon more and more of Gohan's friends and family gathered and faces such as Yamcha, Tien, the Ox King and even Master Roshi began to appear. They sat themselves down the two rows of seats that had been placed in front of the still open grave.

Finally the last four guests at the private funeral arrived, the sound of a hover car landing making their presence known. One of the doors swung open and Krillin stepped out. After slamming his own door shut he walked around the vehicle to the passenger's side, opening the door for his wife to step out. The expression on the short man's face was somber. He had known Gohan for the better part of the kid's life and they had been through alot together. Accepting that he was gone all of a sudden fell very hard on the bald monk.

Eighteen looked somewhat distraught as well. Of course it hadn't been a secret that she didn't want Gohan to be around her adoptive child, but the older demi-Saiyan was still the one that saved her from that green atrocity, Cell. Somewhere she felt somewhat guilty for being so demeaning to him, so she felt that the least she could do was attend the guy's funeral.

Lastly two little children, a young boy and an even younger girl stepped out of the car and quickly joined their parents on the way to the rest of the group. The small girl clung onto her brother's sleeve for dear life, her cheeks blazing up red with shyness as soon as she made eye contact with a kindly smiling Bulma. Maron had always been like that, hiding behind Goten whenever she was in unknown company.

Goten didn't even look up from the blades of grass beneath his feet as he dragged his legs forward. While his one arm was being held tight by his adoptive sibling he used the other to clutch a small teddy bear close to his cheek, given to him by his big brother for Christmas. Taking the news of Gohan's passing had probably been the hardest on Goten most of all. The seven-year old had had to miss his big brother, his role model for the better part of his life already and now that they had finally begun spending some time together he had suddenly died. Just the thought that he would never be able to see Gohan again brought tears to the boy's eyes.

He barely even realised it when Maron let go of his sleeve to jump onto her father's lap. He simply continued to shuffle forward, gaze still cast downwards. When he finally came to a halt he looked up and was greeted by a cheerfully smiling Gohan. Unfortunately it was only a photograph.

Goten had to do his best the fight the tears and bit his quivering lower lip, his small fingers clutching around his Teddy more tightly. What was he going to do now that the sole real sibling that he had left was gone? Who was gonna read him his bedtime stories and tell him about the many great adventures of their heroic father? No one would ever call him 'squirt' again and that pained the boy.

He let out a little snivel and hugged his bear tightly, rocking the stuffed animal from side to side.

"Now all I have left is you, Teddy," Goten sniveled, speaking to the toy as if it were a living thing. "I'm so glad that Big Brother gave you to me, now at least I still have one friend."

The child sniveled again before holding the stuffed animal up, dark brown eyes meeting tiny black beads. The sewn in smile on the bear's face gave the little boy some comfort, causing him to smile back weakly before hugging it again.

After releasing the embrace Goten turned his gaze to the open grave, a hard wooden coffin hanging above the hole in the dirt. Of course there hadn't been any actual remains left to bury, seeing the way Gohan had decided to terminate his life, but all of the demi-Saiyan's friends and family had agreed that having a funeral would be a good thing. It made them feel like they actually still had a proper opportunity to say goodbye. Krillin and Eighteen had decided not to tell their son that the casket was actually empty; telling him the news about his brother's death had been hard enough already.

A big gust of wind blew over the grassy plains, causing the leaves of the trees to rustle like the wings of a thousand birds. The small hybrid shot his look up at the sky and noticed how the clouds above began to grow darker and darker the more time passed. The big plumes could erupt into a cascade of raindrops any second and shower the whole funeral with cold water, but none of the people attending were showing any signs of leaving due to unfortunate weather circumstances.

"I hope that Big Brother's funeral won't be spoiled if it starts to rain," Goten said, once again addressing his Teddy. "All the flowers would go bad and miss Bulma worked really hard on them too."

The thought of Gohan's funeral going awry made the boy hang his head in sadness again. He hated this feeling, he really did. For all of his life he had been joyful and happy, a smile always adorning his face. But now he felt so sad,so on the verge of tears and he couldn't stand it. He wanted to be cheerful, but there was no reason for him to be happy today. No, today was a sad day, the saddest in his life so far.

"Hey, chin up, kid," A deep voice sounded from a short distance. Goten jerked his head to the side, instantly recognizing who the voice belonged to. Under a tree, only a few yards away, a tall green man was hovering above the ground, legs crossed in meditative position. That man was, of course, Mr. Piccolo, Goten had met him before. The Namekian had been the one to deliver the terrible news to his mommy and daddy. At first the young kid didn't quite understand why his father had reacted so outrageously to whatever Mr. Piccolo had told them, but when Krillin had explained the situation to Gohan's only brother the child had burst into tears, running out the door and out the in sea, not stopping until he was knee deep in the water.

He had no idea how long he had been out there in the tides, all he knew was that he had continued crying for a long time, salty tears mixing with salty sea water with every droplet that fell and rippled the surface. And then, when it felt like he had run out of tears to cry and his cheeks had dried up completely, he had heard that same deep voice calling from behind him.

_"Hey, chin up kid," Piccolo's voice reached Goten's ears, catching him by surprise and almost causing him to tumble backwards in fright. The kid sighed in relief when he turned around and saw the Namekian levitating in his direction. Piccolo stopped to hover right besides him, looking down on Gohan's sibling while trying to keep a smile from forming on his face._

_The boy looked so much like Gohan that it was absolutely ridiculous. The way Goten looked at him with those charcoal orbs of him reminded him of his former pupil in every way and how Gohan had always looked at him when he was still a child. Their faces also looked so much alike that it was a bit eerie and even the sound of their crying was nearly identical. It was as if he was looking down at the Gohan from ten years ago today._

_"There's no need for you to cry," Piccolo said, his voice strangely consoling to the weeping child. "I know that it's hard to lose your big brother like that, but you shouldn't be crying over his death."_

_Goten let out a loud sob as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I-I don't think I can, Mr. Big Green, I just feel so sad. I only knew Big Brother for a very short time, so that makes me miss him extra much."_

_Piccolo rolled his eyes at the nickname, which sounded all too familiar to his highly sensitive ears. Ten years ago he had hated the nickname more than he had hated the sound of whistling, but hearing them spoken now somewhat warmed his heart._

_Dammit, he was getting soft._

_"Look... Goten," the Namekian begun, hesitant to call said boy by his first name, since 'brat' or 'kid' had always felt like a much better suit when it came to his big brother. "I want to tell you that everything is okay and that there is no reason for you to cry, but that would be a lie. All I want to tell you is that there is no need to feel sad, Goten. Gohan was one of the greatest people I have ever met. He was brave and strong and always did what was best for his friends and family."_

_He paused for a second and looked down, his gaze meeting Goten's cobalt stare halfway._

_And I'm sure," Piccolo continued, a weak smile growing on his lips. "That one day you will be just as strong and brave as he was."_

Those words had moved something in Goten. ever since his little talk with Piccolo he hadn't cried over his loss anymore, wanting to show his parents and the rest that he was strong and brave, just like his big brother. he'd still feel sad, but just like Piccolo had told him he'd kept his chin up and simply continued with his life. It was just that now he was actually going to have to say goodbye to Gohan and that was something that seemed almost impossible.

Meeting the Namekian's stare caused the kid to pull himself together a bit and straighten his back, getting out of the slouching position he had been in previously. Goten jerked his head back to look at his parents, Krillin sending him a playful grin and Eighteen managing to put a faint smile onto her face.

Slowly, he began to shuffle forward over the grass, closing in on the open grave with every step that he took. Along the way he quickly cast another glance at Piccolo, who only gave a small nod of approval. Goten knew that if he wanted to say goodbye personally now was the time to do it.

He didn't return the gazes of the other members of the funeral party as he walked past them. The only thing his eyes were fixated on was the big photo of Gohan right by the grave and the dark colored coffin over the hole in the soil.

He stood still until his toes nearly touched the hard wooden casket. there he remained silent for quite a while, his eyes only fixated on the coffin that supposedly held his big brother's body, as if he was studying every little crack, split and cut that could be found in the wood.

Another gust of wind blew over, this one even stronger than the previous and causing the boy's hair to dance in the wind like the leaves of the trees. A small rumble could be heard in the distance, announcing the coming of a thunderstorm. Several of the people attending the funeral looked up, trying to judge how long it would take until a cascade of raindrops would soak them all to the last fiber.

Goten didn't turn away his stare from the casket. He didn't respond to the weather changes in any way. The boy simply put a hand forward, fingers outstretched. The hardwood felt cold to the touch and oddly comforting. His other arm took a firm hold of the stuffed animal he had been carrying and kept Teddy stuffed under his armpit.

Actually feeling the coffin made the moment so much more real; it only confirmed that the object was actually there and that it wasn't a figment of the child's imagination. He really was at Gohan's funeral and now was the time to say goodbye.

"Big brother," Goten began with a scrape of his throat. "I hope that you can hear me up there in the Otherworld.."

His voice choked momentarily, the tears burning behind his eyes. He was going to cry, that was for sure. it was only a matter of how long he would be able to fight off the tears.

"B-But I want you to know that I really miss you," Goten continued, his fingers softly sliding off of the wooden coffin. The words were only his to hear as another rumble from above blocked out the sound of his voice for the rest of the guests. "I want you to know that even though I didn't know you for a long time you... you..."

A snivel escaped the boy, forcing him to pause again. A single tear began to well up in the corner of his eye, leaving him certain that there were more to come.

"Y-You were the best big brother that I could ever wish for," Goten managed to mumble in between snivels. "And I can only hope to become just as strong and great as you were one day."

He sniveled again, this time louder than before. They rumbling of thunder clouds grew louder along with him.

"I-I really hope that you've finally find your rest now," he cried, more tears beginning to form after that first one had rolled down his cheek. "Daddy told me how you were always so restless and that now you can finally get the sleep that you need."

Goten wiped the salty liquid from his face with his sleeve. His snivels were about to turn into sobs, but the kid managed to stay strong and somehow managed to find the strength to continue speaking.

"And Mr. Piccolo told me a lot about you too," he said, thinking of the many wonderful stories that the Namekian had told him about his only brother. "he told me how you fought the evil space meanie Frieda, or Frieze, or whatever his name was and that you saved the world more than once before."

A sob couldn't be prevented from escaping, the boy now being at the verge of bursting out crying.

"Mr. Piccolo also told me that you always loved to read books," Goten said as he wiped his cheeks dry again. "So I decided to make you a book myself, see?"

The child abruptly dropped his Teddy to thee grass below and rummaged in the pocket of the jacket that he had been wearing, pulling out a small square booklet, the pages tied together by a rainbow-colored string. He flipped the first page and managed to smile between his tears, albeit paired with another sob.

"I wrote the story myself," Goten told, his eyes falling on the scribbly handwriting at the bottom of every page. "It's a story about you and me going out in space to fight the bad guys, cause we are the space police, you see?"

His lower lip began to quiver and his eyes were already burning with the tears that wanted to be let loose. As the young boy gave in to his emotions the skies above finally cracked, a loud rumble rumble forming the background music as flashes of lightning began to appear along the horizon.

"I even drew you the pictures..."

Raindrops began to fall down on the earth rapidly soaking every single person in the funeral party in only a few seconds. Goten could hear his mommy and daddy calling behind him to come sit with them; it was time to bury the casket and have everyone say their final goodbyes to Gohan.

As Goten closed his self-made book for Gohan he glanced over at the photo by his side, his big brother smiling at him from in between the droplets of rain. The young kid placed the present to his late sibling on top of the coffin, cobalt eyes watching closely as the rain quickly soaked every page. Then, he turned around, picking up Teddy as he walked back to his parents.

His father quickly met him in an embrace, rubbing soft circles over the crying boy's back. He felt felt his mother's finger under his chin and tilted his head up, meeting his mother's consoling blue orbs with his own. Feeling a little comforted Goten suddenly felt a giant wave of fatigue wash over him, the urge to sleep nearly impossible to fight off.

Bulma led the funeral ceremony, speaking for everyone when she said that Gohan would be dearly missed by them all and that it was hard to lose such a young soul so incredibly close to him. The people present would all get their time to walk to the front and stand by the coffin, a possibility to say their final goodbyes. But Goten didn't want to. he had already said goodbye and all he wanted to do now was sleep.

The kid managed to stay awake until the end of the ceremony, until the coffin slowly began to lower deeper and deeper into the soil. Goten wanted to feel sad about it, but he was too tired for that now. Besides, he had cried enough already.

As the coffin sank lower and lower Goten could watch it move out of sight with every passing second, his tired eyes fighting off the sleep for as long as it was still possible. They last thing that his charcoal eyes saw before he drifted off into dreamland was his own made little booklet disappearing into the ground.

"Good night big brother, I hope you sleep well now..."

* * *

**So yeah, I was chillin' like Krillin and suddenly: POOF! The idea for this epilogue came to me. What I like about it most is that it makes up for scrapping the Christmas chapter, which originally would've had Goten in it.**

**In my opinion this is a pretty good way to completely finish the story, what are your thoughts?**

**And just in case you didn't know yet... I love reviews ^_^**

**Thanks for reading!**


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